Together
by JSFazz
Summary: Sequel to Work With Me  House and Cameron begin a life together with some unexpected turns along the way.  Will they be able to survive constant trials of their love?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Dr. House, are you ready?" the man asked.

She glanced down at her notes nervously, reviewing the words intently even though she had them ingrained in her memory. Her hands were shaking, her palms sweaty, and she glanced at the man, giving him a slight nod.

Peeking around the curtain, she surveyed the packed auditorium, her stomach jumping into her throat.

_How did I get here?_ she thought. The light on the podium brightened and a hush began to fall over the waiting audience as they directed their gazes toward the lectern.

_Breathe, just breathe_, she reminded herself. All those faces, waiting, expecting, ready to listen to her words and then most likely throw a barrage of questions at her.

_How did I get here?_ she asked herself again. It was almost surreal.

"Dr. House?" the man whispered to her. She turned and looked at him, startled back into reality, and she gave him a soft smile. Clutching her note cards tightly as if her very life depended on them, she straightened her shoulders and watched the man walk out to the podium, preparing to introduce her.

Her right hand nervously twisted the silver diamond band on her left ring finger, as it often did. One of her nervous ticks. Her eyes moved once more to the space between the curtain and the wall, darting from face to face until she found the eyes she hoped she would see, seated way in the back but still blazing as blue as the sky amidst all those unknown faces.

He had come, even though he said he wouldn't because he hated lectures. He was there, for her, her constant support.

As his eyes met hers, the rest of the world fell silent and they shared a moment, just the two of them, in that one single look. In his eyes she found the confidence she needed to do this, and her nerves began to settle. It was in his eyes that she found her strength, and she finally answered her own question. She knew exactly how she got there.

_Seven months earlier…_

Cameron was the first to admit that moving in with House may have been a bad idea. Sure they were in love, deeply, and sure they had an amazing sex life, but living with House was a whole new life to adjust to.

He was cranky, mostly due to the pain in his leg, he was slightly demanding, and it took him a while to be "ok" with having her stuff in his apartment. Of course, he never complained when he got to curl up next to her every night in their bed and worship her delicious body in whichever way he could imagine. Cameron didn't complain about that part, either.

Not only did they live together, they worked together, too, their offices directly next door to each other. Cameron had been successfully running the Immunology department for the past six months, and in that time she had taken a short sabbatical to study abroad in Norway under a leader in the field so she could get the research she needed to write her latest article, an article that had recently been published in a leading medical journal to much acclaim.

House had been proud of her accomplishments to date. He did support her. It was him who thought of the idea of her moving in with him. Honestly, he found it difficult to be apart from her, especially after she had left the country, and him, for two whole months. After that, he vowed he wouldn't let her leave his side again.

So she moved in, and it was great for about a week until he remembered what it was like to live with a woman. It took major adjusting on his part, having spent so many years on his own, to have a woman in his life again, mingling her things with his own, rearranging things in "his" place. But after a while he found himself happy for once, and the sight of her comfortably residing in "his" place brought a sort of peace to his soul, so much that he one day automatically began referring to it as "their" place.

Life settled into a routine that often began with glorious morning sex, followed by breakfast, followed by a shower together and more glorious sex, until they finally dressed and rode into work together…well, on most days. House refused to arrive on time to work every day of the week. Most days he went back to sleep after Cameron left for work.

House's team had settled in nicely and had finally adjusted to his personality quirks. Reynolds, Owens and Matthews could hold their own, and House liked that. Meanwhile Cameron still had her two interns, Kristin and Scott, at least for another few months before they graduated from medical school and began their residencies. She had been so busy with her article and other research that she was grateful for their capable help.

As for Wilson, he and Cuddy had been seeing each other for about three months, and Wilson reluctantly found himself utterly smitten with her…reluctantly because he knew his track record with women. But Cuddy was unlike any woman he had ever been with. She was severely independent, confident, opinionated…she didn't hang on him or swoon over his boyish good looks every time he looked at her. It was a different kind of relationship for him, and he was really liking it. As was Cuddy.

So life went on this way, until one day life took a very unexpected turn, as it so often does…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Running late today?" he asked as he watched her bustle around their bedroom, frantically searching for something.

"Where are my black shoes?" she asked as she hurriedly buttoned her blouse, ignoring his comment altogether.

House remained in bed snuggled comfortably under the sheets.

"You know it's pretty warm under here, and it's pretty cold out there," he said, nodding toward the frost-covered window. "You should stop running around like a chicken with its head cut off and join me."

"Shouldn't you be getting dressed?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously as she slid her skirt over her hips.

House glanced at the clock. "It's only 7:45…I'm amazed I'm even awake right now."

She stopped her busying and stared at him, her hands on her hips. "You forgot again, didn't you?"

He looked at her and searched his brain, trying to remember what it was he may have forgotten.

"Enlighten me," he replied.

"Hello? Department head meeting, 9 a.m., TODAY," she yelled.

He snickered at her then dropped his head to the pillow, burying himself deeper under the blankets.

She shook her head. "Of course, you don't attend those pointless meetings, silly me," she mocked, sliding her arms into her black blazer. "Maybe I left my shoes in the living room."

She walked out, obviously annoyed with him yet again. House stared out the window as he listened to her footsteps disappear down the hall and couldn't help but realize it had been almost a week since they had last made love, and even then their usual intensity seemed to fade into something almost mechanical. The thought that she was slipping away from him caused a pain in his heart and a tightening in his gut. But he didn't know how to remedy the situation. He wasn't good at these things.

He loved her, that much he knew to be true. But he didn't know how to hold on to a woman when things got stale in the relationship. Typically in the past, by the time he got bored with a woman he severed all strings with her.

Cameron was different, though. He had never loved another woman as much as he loved her. But lately he couldn't quite understand it…she seemed to be avoiding him, falling asleep early in the evenings as if to avoid their lovemaking, busying herself with work and meetings and her newly published article to even make time for just the two of them.

Maybe moving in together was a bad idea. But it had been three months, and everything seemed to be sunshine and roses until recently. He wondered what changed.

"Found them!" he heard her shout from the living room.

He sighed heavily as he heard the jingle of her keys and the zipper of her coat. Then he heard the door open and shut.

"Bye," he said to an empty apartment.

The tightening in his gut began to hurt and he sat up in the bed. The familiar pain in his leg throbbed in time with his melancholy heart, and he instinctively reached for the Vicodin bottle on the nightstand.

He had to fix this, that much he knew. He wouldn't let her go without a fight, if that was what, indeed, was happening. Of all the uncertainties in Greg House's life, one thing he knew to be real was that he couldn't live without her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Around 10:30 House limped into PPTH after stopping at the coffee shop on the corner to get Cameron one of her favorite iced cappuccinos. He avoided the usual people as he headed towards the elevator. He cursed to himself after he was followed by three nurses and Wilson through the elevator doors.

"Good morning, Dr. Wilson," one of the nurses greeted him in her perkiest voice.

He smiled at her. "How are you today, Claire?" Wilson replied.

"Cold…definitely needed to wear layers today," she said, giggling. The other nurses agreed with her and they began to chit chat amongst themselves.

Wilson moved closer to House. "Frozen coffee on a cold morning like this?" he asked, curious.

"It's for Allison, she loves these things," House snipped.

Wilson regarded him for a moment before responding. "Bad morning?"

House sighed and impatiently watched the floor numbers rise, praying for relief as they neared four.

"I'll take that as a yes," said Wilson. "Did you two have a fight?"

The nurses suddenly fell silent, their backs to the two doctors, obviously listening in for some fresh gossip.

House glared at Wilson. "Yeah, for some reason she just couldn't understand why I was leaving her for you, James, but I told her that no one could ever touch me the way you do…his hands are as silky as satin," House said, directing the latter comment towards the nurses. They shook their heads and laughed.

Wilson rolled his eyes.

Finally the doors opened and all five of them stepped out. House and Wilson headed down their hallway.

"So, what did you fight about?" Wilson probed.

"We didn't have a fight, and geeze, could you be any more nosey?" House said.

"What, you're obviously bothered about something, and not much bothers you these days unless it has to do with Cameron. Plus you're bringing her coffee, which is either a peace offering of some sort or a little gift to show her you still care about her."

House shot Wilson a look then directed his eyes back down the hallway. Cameron's door came into view.

"Fine, don't tell me," Wilson said, throwing his hands in the air. "You do realize, though, that I'm the only other person in the world who will listen to you when you do talk, besides Cameron, so, you may want to take advantage of that."

"I'll remember that. Why don't you go jump up and down on Cuddy's funbags some more, as I'm sure that's where you're coming from," House said.

"Actually, no, the department head meeting ended about a half hour ago, which is where I'm coming from after getting stuck talking to Greene about his new convertible," Wilson said, rubbing his forehead. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you the head of a department in this hospital?"

"Spare me, I've already built up a tough skin to deflect the wrath of your girlfriend," said House.

"Just warning you, she was none too pleased to find you absent from yet another meeting."

House shrugged. "I'm sure I missed some riveting details about the new centrifuges being donated by yet another rich benefactor that Cuddy managed to leech off of, or the latest accolades from doctors wanting nothing more than to spout how magnificent they are."

"Some of those accolades were for your girlfriend," Wilson jumped in. "Her article is gaining some major praise. Word is the American Medical Association wants her to present it at their annual conference this year."

House let Wilson's words sink in. He hadn't heard that, and he knew that for a young doctor like Cameron, that was a pretty big accomplishment. No wonder she had seemed so preoccupied. His face softened. He had to see her, to congratulate her, to tell her that he was still there with her and to see in her eyes that they were going to be ok.

But upon one glance through the glass door into her office, he stopped. His blue eyes turned cold as he watched her talking with someone, a man whose face was unknown to House. The man stood close and bit too comfortably in House's opinion, and Cameron leaned her hip against her desk. She laughed out loud as her delicate hand moved to her hair, tossing it over her shoulder.

He hadn't seen her laugh like that in weeks. His frozen fingers holding the iced cappuccino felt numb, shooting that coldness directly into his heart.

Wilson followed House's glare.

"Another agenda item at this morning's meeting," Wilson said. "That's Dr. Burton, new head of psychology," he said, nodding towards Cameron's door.

"Goodbye Wilson," replied House coldly as he moved to the door. Wilson dropped his head and continued down the hallway, silently praying House didn't mess this up in a big way.

House opened the door without knocking and limped inside, forcefully placing the coffee atop her desk.

She jumped, slightly startled as he entered. His eyes focused on Burton for a while before moving to her own.

"Got you an iced cappuccino…you still like those, right?" he asked her, his tone sterile and cold.

She furrowed her brow and straightened her posture. "Thanks…yes, I do, but actually I think today might be a bit cold for one of these."

House shrugged. "I just thought since you left home so quickly this morning you might have missed your morning caffeine high." Then House turned his attention to Burton. "We didn't get our morning romp in the sack in, which usually perks her right up for the day."

"House!" Cameron exclaimed. "Not appropriate," she said as if she were berating a five year old.

Burton cleared his throat, stifling a grin.

"Dr. Will Burton, this is Dr. Gregory House, head of diagnostics," Cameron said, introducing them with a frown.

"Of course, Dr. House, I am familiar with your work," Burton said, extending a hand. House's hand remained locked on his cane, the other at his side.

Burton laughed awkwardly before dropping his hand. "Dr. Cameron was just sharing some of the secrets in this place."

"Really, looked more like she was getting ready to show you her own secrets," House spat.

"Greg, what is the matter with you!" Cameron spat back, her hands rigid on her hips. She shook her head as she watched him stare down Burton. She knew all too well at this point that the only thing worse than Gregory House was a jealous Gregory House.

Burton's jaw dropped and he stammered for the right words.

"So, you're a shrink," House said.

"Well…I…um…I, yes, I mean…I'm a psychologist, although we unfortunately are also referred to as shrinks, yes," Burton laughed awkwardly again, looking at Cameron. She smiled at him.

"You know why they call them shrinks, don't you?" House asked, directing his question to Cameron.

Burton looked up at the ceiling. "Because we shrink the mind, is that it?" he smiled.

"Actually I believe it's due to the shrinkage of another organ further south," House replied, staring up at the ceiling as well, pretending to be deep in thought.

"All right, I think this conversation is over," Cameron said, throwing her hands in the air. She touched Burton on the arm, drawing him back in to reality as he was obviously shocked at stunned by House's usual 'charm'. "I'm really sorry, Will. He has a few screws loose and he believes his social inadequacies only give him character."

Burton laughed and looked back at House. "Perhaps you would consider a session with me, we can talk about that, and whatever else you may have on your mind, Dr. House."

House rolled his eyes. "Thanks, I have a Wilson for those endearing heart-to-hearts who won't charge me $200 an hour."

Burton looked back at Cameron, not quite sure how to respond. House watched with disdain as she silently apologized to Burton with her eyes, and his responsive smile. She was talking to him with her eyes…House thought he'd be sick right there.

"Well, Allison, I should let you get back to work and…things...," he nervously glanced at House. "Thanks for the talk and I look forward to working with you."

"Any time, Will. And if you need anything I'm around," she replied. They watched him leave her office before turning on each other.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Cameron asked him in surprise.

"So you two already on a first name basis? We didn't start referring to each other by our first names until we slept together," House replied.

"Some people are just more comfortable referring to each other by first names."

"What people?"

"Friendly people."

"Shrinks are friendly? Since when."

"He's a very open person, Greg. I wanted to be cordial and help him feel welcome. Not many other doctors in this place would be so gracious," Cameron said, stepping behind her desk.

"He wasn't the only one being open," House mumbled.

"What? What are you implying," she said, anger dripping off every word.

"You were practically inviting him to look up your skirt the way you were propped against your desk."

She laughed in shock before shaking her head.

"You're really something, you know that?" she said. "Yes, I was ready to jump him right here in my office, in front of the whole hospital."

"What other way to make a new doctor feel welcome," House seethed.

She glared at him. "I think you should go," she whispered.

He stared at her, silent, frantically searching her eyes for that light that told him no matter what, she still loved him, but all he saw was darkness. That darkness seeped into his soul.

He turned and limped quickly out of her office. She released the death grip she held on the edge of her desk and lowered her head. Noticing the iced coffee still sitting atop her desk, she grabbed it and threw it into the trashcan. Sitting in her chair, she buried her face in her hands and began to cry.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

House sat in his office in the dark. His blinds were drawn, a clear sign to anyone even thinking of entering that he did not want to be disturbed. He reclined in his chair, gripping his oversized tennis ball in silence. He knew he had a team waiting on the other side of the door for his orders. He knew he had clinic hours to fulfill. He knew Wilson was probably waiting for him to barge into his office and unload his thoughts. But he just didn't care about any of it.

He sighed heavily and stood, throwing the ball on top of his desk. _Where did it all go wrong_, he asked himself. Glancing over his shoulder, he stared for what seemed like an eternity at the wall separating him from the women he loved. He made his way over to the wall and gently ran his fingertips over the wood, recalling the delicate feel of her skin under those same fingers. Leaning into the wall, he pressed his cheek to the cold wood and closed his eyes.

Cameron took a deep breath and dabbed her eyes with a tissue. She composed herself and stood, randomly sifting through some papers on her desk. But her thoughts wouldn't leave her alone. Her anger had turned to sadness. She missed him. After being such a jerk, she really and truly missed him. At some point in this relationship that was still so very new, they had lost touch with each other. It seemed to occur after moving in together. Was it a mistake to do so? She asked herself that every day. In the beginning he practically demonstrated the fact that his personal space was being invaded, and she felt guilty for doing so. But in fact she felt her own personal space invaded, as well, and this place so foreign to her. This place, where they were often so intimate and where she spent almost every night since they first decided to start this journey together, seemed like some distant land where she was not welcome.

For some reason, she felt the need to distance herself from him, but she honestly couldn't explain to herself why. In some sick way she understood why he was so rude to Burton, and why he showed his jealous nature. She probably would have done the same thing.

Glancing over at the wall that separated her from her true love, she sighed. Moving toward the wall, she stretched out her hand and ran it over the smooth surface, noting the drastic difference in texture from his rough stubble that she reveled in feeling move over her body, awakening her senses. Leaning into the wall, she pressed her cheek to the cold wood and closed her eyes, willing to feel him on the other side.

He was there, right there with her, but she would never know. She opened her eyes and backed away from the wall, then returned to her desk, grabbed some charts and walked out of her office.

On the other side of the wall, House backed away from the coldness emanating from the wood and opened his blinds, meeting the expectant eyes of his team. He opened the door and entered the conference room.

"Dr. House, are you all right?" Owens asked, ever the kiss up.

Reynolds and Matthews rolled their eyes. "We don't have any cases yet," Reynolds reported.

House nodded. "I'm headed to the clinic. Page me if anything new comes in."

The three looked at him in surprise. It was probably the first time any of them had heard House volunteer to do his own clinic hours. In truth House decided that if he had to be there, he'd hide in the protective, yet emotionally dulling confines of the clinic. Away from Cameron. Away from Wilson. With no one but the annoying hypochondriacs to talk to.

"Ok," Reynolds answered reluctantly.

But no such luck. House wasn't in the clinic more than five minutes before Cuddy tracked him down.

"House!" she shouted. He rolled his eyes and held up a chart.

"Not now, got patients to see."

"You missed this morning's meeting," she said, ignoring him.

"Sorry, teacher, I promise to stay after school and wash the blackboards," he retorted.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "House, I know you have your own way of doing things around here, most of which I don't agree with, but I put up with it because you're…well…irreplaceable," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear that, could you say that louder please?" he asked.

"But as a department head you have a responsibility to attend at least some of these meetings. How else do you expect to find out what's going on around here?"

"Easy, I just ask Wilson. He's always ready and willing to give me the scoop, that is when he's not busy attending secret meetings with you in your office behind locked doors," he replied, waggling his eyebrows. "But I always know when those are because he pathetically scribbles them into his day planner. You two are so organized, scheduling a little office nookie during the day. What would our illustrious board members think about that?"

She dropped her jaw, unable to respond before he slipped into an exam room, grinning victoriously.

As usual, he disregarded the patient and went straight to the file.

"So, you've got bad cramps…what woman doesn't…" House glanced up at the woman sitting on the exam table. He stopped speaking for a moment. She was young and attractive, so much so that he bet she turned heads wherever she went. So stunning it made a man stop in his tracks.

He blinked upon hearing her speak.

"I know, I'm not complaining, it's just…they seem worse than usual. I mean, I'm bending over in pain when they're really bad, and no amount of ibuprofen will help," the woman spoke, concerned.

He subtly shook his head to rejoin reality and read over her file some more. "So why not pay your gynecologist a visit?"

"I'm a grad student here, kind of far from home. Someone told me to just come here and save myself the hunt for a decent gynecologist," she replied, smiling slightly.

He sucked in his top lip and looked her over.

"Okey dokey, put this on and I'll get a nurse to join us, and I'll take a look," he said, opening a drawer and handing her a gown. She smiled and hopped off the table, taking the gown from him. Her finger lightly brushed his, and for a second their eyes met. He could've sworn he saw her blush. The sight reminded him of Cameron when she was just a young doctor working under him, her blushes always subtly reminding him of her feelings towards him.

He shook the thought away and left the woman alone in the room. He closed the door behind him and approached the nurse's station.

"I need a nurse in exam 4 for a gynecological exam," he said, noting the file. He tried to keep his thoughts clinical, but he couldn't help but remark to himself that this woman was, indeed, gorgeous. He was a man, after all.

A few minutes later he entered the exam room with the nurse. The patient was seated nervous on the table. Her long, dark hair fell over her shoulders, framing her flawless face perfectly. Her tan skin was a contrast against the light blue gown. She met his eyes briefly, and in them he thought he saw a flirtatious twinkle.

_Shit_, he thought.

"Ok, just lie back and place your feet in the stirrups," he said softly, seating himself on the stool and rolling closer to her. The nurse stood over his shoulder as the woman positioned herself, and he heard her breathe deeply.

House completed the exam professionally and quickly.

"Ok, you can sit up," he said, removing his gloves and grabbing her file. The nurse helped the woman to sit up.

"You have endometriosis," he said, making more notes.

"Oh," the woman said, surprised.

He looked up at her. "No big deal now, but when you consider conceiving a child it may come up. In the meantime I'll prescribe something that might help with the cramps."

She sighed and smiled at him. "Thank you."

"You can get dressed," he said, handing her a slip of paper. He smiled at her and stood, then left the room with the nurse.

Minutes later he was at the nurse's station, searching through a stack of files. _One of these has to be somewhat interesting_, he thought. He felt a hand touch his shoulder.

He looked behind him to find the woman he had just examined.

"I just wanted to say thank you again, Dr. House," she said, reading his ID badge. "Like I said, I'm new around Princeton and I really don't know anyone. Anyway, this may seem kind of forward, especially since you just examined a very intimate part of my anatomy," she said quietly, laughing to herself and shaking her head. "But I was wondering if you wanted to get a drink sometime?"

He was shocked at her forwardness, even after, as she said, he was just very close to a very intimate part of her. He was flattered. This youthful beauty before him who probably could have any man she wanted.

"What are you in grad school for?" he asked, finding himself intrigued.

"Educational administration," she replied, smiling.

"You're a teacher," he noted.

She nodded. "On sabbatical right now so I can go full time for my master's. Normally I teach high school kids."

"What subject?"

"Music."

His eyes lit up. "You're a music teacher?"

She giggled. "Yes, why does that surprise you?"

He smiled and looked down. "It's just…you look like, I don't know, you should be stalking runways at Vogue or something, not teaching a bunch of pimply-faced teenagers how to play the tuba."

She laughed again. "Yes, well, looks aren't everything. Music has been a part of my life since I was born."

There was something about her, something so intriguing and fascinating. From the sound of it they probably could talk at length about their love of music. But despite her beauty and obvious similar interests to his own, he couldn't help but listen to his heart, the heart that still beat for Cameron.

His smile softened. "Look, as your doctor it would be unethical for me to get a drink with you."

"You're not my doctor anymore, you were only my doctor ten minutes ago."

"True, but…well, to be honest, I'm seeing someone," he said quietly.

She lifted her chin as if she finally figured him out. "Oh, I see. Sorry, I didn't mean to assume…"

"No, it's ok," he cut her off.

She watched him a moment. "Is it serious?" she asked him.

"What?" he asked, surprised at her question.

"Your relationship with her…is it serious?"

He paused for a moment. "As serious as a heart attack," he admitted, more to himself than to her.

The woman smiled and nodded. She reached out and squeezed his arm. "Well, thanks again, Dr. House." Her arm dropped to her side and she turned slowly, then walked away from him and out the door.

House remained still for a moment, attempting to process what had just happened, before turning his attention back to the stack of files. Out of the corner of his eye, though, a figure caught his attention. He glanced up and found Cameron standing only a few feet away, the look on her face evidence enough that she was there long enough to see him smiling and chatting with another woman, a woman who touched his arm repeatedly in an obvious flirtatious gesture. How much she had heard, however, he did not know.

One thing was for sure, she didn't look happy. In fact, she looked as if she would lose control any second.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

That evening House sat alone in his apartment, at his piano, the familiar sight of half empty bottles of scotch and Vicodin staring at him from atop the instrument's black surface. His fingers did not play, though.

He had tried to run after her that morning, but she ran quicker than his bum leg could follow. He attempted to find her, but she seemed to have disappeared. He thought of going to Wilson, but ended up seeking refuge on the roof until he finally just gave up and left.

He sat there wondering if she would come home. Glancing at the clock, it was almost 8 p.m. She should be home by now. He hoped she would come home. He needed to talk to her. He could just disappear, himself, to sulk in the protective comfort of his own loneliness, a comfort he had learned to trust over anything else. But she was too deep under his skin, buried within the walls of his heart. She was what he craved most, and feeling her slip away frightened him more than the thought of enduring any drug withdrawal.

Minutes passed, more like an eternity, when he heard the key in the door. He closed his eyes and silently thanked whatever deity cared to listen. Then he took a deep breath and prepared himself for whatever was about to come through that door.

She slowly opened the door and stepped inside, turning to close the door softly behind her. She remained with her back to him for a moment before turning again.

"Allison," he said softly, standing. He stood in place, however, afraid to approach her too quickly, like scaring a frightened animal.

She lifted her eyes to him, her red, puffy eyes, evidence that she had been crying.

"Where did you go?" he managed to ask, the sadness in her eyes strangling him.

"Away," she replied, almost whispering.

He sighed and lowered his gaze, afraid that he would lose it if he had to look into her accusing eyes any longer.

"What you saw in the clinic…it wasn't…it wasn't what you think it was," he said.

"What do you think I saw?" she asked, dropping her briefcase to the floor.

"I had just treated her, she came out to thank me, and yes, she asked me to get a drink with her."

He squeezed his eyes shut at the admittance and the sound of Cameron hitching her breath. For some morbid reason, however, he felt the need to be completely honest with her.

"I'm not going to lie, I was flattered, even a little tempted…" The sound of her snicker cut him off, and he finally raised his eyes to look at her.

"Why don't you just say it? You wanted to go out with her," Cameron hissed.

"No, I didn't," he quickly replied, moving closer to her. She took two steps back and he stopped. She didn't even want him near her. He thought he'd die.

"Allison," he continued. "I told her I was in a relationship, and that it was serious."

Cameron blinked back tears. "But you were still tempted," she whispered meekly.

"And what about Burnett, you didn't feel all giddy inside when he flashed you that charming smile and you giggled and flung your hair over your shoulder like some lovesick teenager?" he spat.

She shook her head. "Don't turn this around on me. You were jumping to idiotic conclusions. He didn't ask me out, or make any romantic advances at me. I was just being friendly to a new colleague."

"Right," he said, gritting his teeth. "So, what, I'm supposed to where a sign saying 'I'm taken, don't ask me out, ladies'? Contrary to what many may think, I can't control the hormones of the female population."

"She was your patient, Greg. Do you realize how unethical…"

"I said NO!" he shouted. She shut her mouth and clenched her jaw. He sighed heavily and dropped his gaze again, adjusting his stance to put more weight on his cane.

After an uneasy silence, Cameron finally moved. She walked down the hallway towards the bedroom. He stood and listened as he heard the zipper of a suitcase. She was leaving him.

He quickly limped to the bedroom and stood in the doorway.

"Where are you going?" he asked hesitantly.

"I'm going to stay at Cuddy's," she said, her voice hoarse.

"For how long?"

She paused. "I don't know."

He watched her move around the room, gathering several articles of clothing and folding them into the suitcase.

"You don't trust me," he finally said.

"I guess you don't trust me, either," she replied.

He stepped into the room and grabbed her arm. She stopped, but kept her back to him.

"What happened to us? Please, I need to know," he said, almost pleading.

She shrugged, fighting back the tears that wanted release. "Maybe we moved too fast. Maybe we shouldn't have moved in together so soon."

He threw his cane on the bed and took her by both shoulders, turning her to face him.

"I asked you to move in with me because I couldn't stand being apart from you."

"That was after I had left the country for two months. You acted on impulse, and maybe I did, too."

"You think it was impulse? I think when two people can't stand to be apart from one another it's a bit more severe than a random impulse," House said, trying to get her to meet his eyes. She couldn't, and tears began to dampen her cheeks.

"I know that you're going through a lot right now, that this article has consumed a lot of your energy, and work, and everything," he continued. "But I'm still here…you need to know that I'm not going anywhere."

She finally lifted her wet eyes to meet his intense gaze, and through the tears he could finally see it. The familiar light that he would always search out when he needed to feel close to her. That spark that defined their love.

He lowered his forehead to rest on her own, keeping his eyes fixed on hers. Lifting his hands, he wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"I love you," he whispered to her.

She began to cry harder and lowered her head to his shoulder. He wrapped his strong arms around her frail body, absorbing her sobs as she cried. The pain of it all caused his own tears to form.

"It's too overwhelming," she said through her sobs. "The change, the adjusting. I don't think I was ready for it. I just…I just think maybe we should take some time apart…"

He grabbed her by the shoulders again and made her look at him.

"No," he said forcefully, a tear finally slipping down his cheek. "When you came back from Norway, I told you I would never let you go anywhere without me again. And I meant it. Allison, please," he said, shaking his head.

He dropped to his knees in front of her and buried his face in her body, wrapping his arms around her waist. He inhaled deeply, missing her flowery scent.

"I don't think I would survive if you left me," he whispered. He was ashamed, ashamed that he was crying, ashamed that he admitted to her that she was his weakness, his undoing. He wanted to run and hide from her, to tuck his emotions back inside him. To reinforce those steel walls he used to shield himself from the rest of the world.

But she was his angel, his savior, his life. He had meant what he said. If she left, he'd retreat to the darkness to the point of no return.

His mind and his worries ceased the minute he felt her run her fingers through his hair.

"Shh," she cooed. Then she gently removed his arms from her waist and lowered herself to her knees so they were face-to-face. She lifted her hands and wiped the tears from his cheeks, as he had just done to her. With a single finger she traced the contours of his face as if she were re-familiarizing herself with them. Running her finger over his lips, she leaned in and kissed him softly. The feel of her velvety lips on his made him close his eyes and find clarity once more.

She pulled away and he opened his eyes. Their gazes found each other, the tears stopping completely.

_We'll be ok_, her eyes reassured him.

_We'll work through this, _his eyes responded.

_Together_.

"I love you, Greg," she finally said before he captured her lips in a desperate, passionate kiss.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Their kiss grew more desperate by the second, as they both felt the release they have craved over the past few weeks. It is truly amazing how much emotion can be poured into a simple kiss when you thought you were going to lose the love of your life.

He trailed his hands delicately down her cheeks, the dampness of her tears dissipating under his touch. She gripped his shoulders tightly as if her life depended on it, and pulled him closer to her. His hands cupped her face as he devoured her lips, turning his head with every meeting of their lips so he could be sure he tasted every inch of her mouth. It surprised him, and almost frightened him, how much he missed her kiss.

House searched the inner reaches of his soul as he continued to kiss her feverishly, searching for any meaning or logic to what had just transpired. Only minutes earlier she was packing her bags, ready to leave him, ready to give up on them. She was scared, scared they were moving too quickly. He wanted to explain things to her, to talk through this with her, but all he could do was drop to his knees and beg her not to leave him. The fear of losing her overtook all reason at that moment, and now here they were, still on their knees in a passionate embrace, and he was fulfilled with such a deep satisfaction just knowing that while she was frightened and overwhelmed by the quick pace of their relationship, she was even more afraid of losing him. In the emotional chaos that comes with beginning a committed relationship, he was relieved to know she shared his fear…that everything else aside, they couldn't live without the other.

Cameron's hands slid to the buttons on his shirt and she quickly loosened each, pulling the shirt down over his arms. She took his arms and raised him over his head, then slid her fingers to the hem of his t-shirt, pulling it up and over his arms, breaking their kiss momentarily. Their lips found each other once again, and her fingers danced over his bare chest.

Her touch brought him back to the present and his thoughts returned to their primal need for each other. His hands moved to her waist and he squeezed her hips, causing her to moan. He unbuttoned her sweater and slid it off her slender arms. Caressing her alabaster skin, he reached behind her and unclasped her bra, letting it drop to the floor. His lips moved to her neck and Cameron arched her head back, her eyes closed as she allowed herself to feel nothing but the pleasure he never failed to bring her. Even when she found herself confused and scared, but obligated to fulfill his sexual needs as they did share a bed, she couldn't deny the mind blowing pleasure she felt during their otherwise mechanical lovemaking.

He knew exactly how to touch her, and even found ways of pleasing her she never knew existed before. They were at the point where he seemed to know her body better than she did.

He ran his tongue along her collarbone as he cupped her breasts in his hands, molding them to fit perfectly within his palms, and he grinned when he felt, more than heard her hitch her breath.

Her hands clawed at the button on his jeans. She opened them and slid her hand beneath his boxers, grabbing a hold of his evident erection, wiping the grin clear off his face. It was his turn to hitch in his breath, and he straightened up, closing his eyes before opening them to find her darkened, lust-filled eyes staring right back at him.

Their lips met hungrily as she continued to move her hand up and down his hard shaft. Gripping her wrist, he pulled her hand away and moved them both down to the floor. Rolling her to her back, he made quick movements of disrobing the rest of her before he sat back on his heels and marveled at the beauty of her naked form.

She was breathing heavily, her chest heaving, her skin glistening with the sheen of perspiration brought on by the heat he knew he caused within her. She grinned mischievously at him as she slid her legs back and forth against each other, then opened them to wrap around his hips, pulling them closer towards her.

He returned her grin as he sat back and removed his jeans the rest of the way, along with his boxers. Climbing over her, he kissed his way up her body from calf to collar bone before leaning all his weight on his arms and staring once more into her eyes.

The electricity between them was back, and they both felt it with a force. For just a brief moment, time seemed to stand still as they met within each other's gaze.

_I'll love you forever_, his eyes spoke to her.

A soft grin danced across her face, and he read nothing but relief and happiness in her eyes. She lifted her hand as if in slow motion and traced the rough contours of his face, and in her delicious touch he could feel her response, that she loved him just as much. Opening her legs, she wrapped them around his torso. She had such a fierce need to feel their bodies reunite after what seemed like ages apart.

He entered her hard and fast, his urgency knowing no bounds, and she wasn't complaining. They kept their eyes transfixed on the others as they moved together. He thrust in and out of her lithe body with such nimble movements, his body remembering her own. Yes, this was one dance he knew he would never forget. And she knew deep within her own heart that she was made for this coupling, her body specifically created to sheath his own.

They were born to be together…he felt it just as strongly as she did.

She arched her back to allow him to slide in deeper within her, and he cried out at the sensation. Her hands gripped his shoulders, digging her nails into his skin as she felt the eruption building from deep within her core.

He reached his hand back and gripped the underside of her thigh, allowing him more leverage. He pushed in harder, faster, until Cameron was screaming and writhing beneath him.

She closed her eyes and arched her back as she screamed through her release. He dropped his head to her chest and squeezed his eyes shut as he gave one final thrust, coming inside her.

They remained that way for a moment, recovering their ability to breathe normally, reveling in the feel of their bodies still joined, limbs intertwined. He turned his cheek and laid soft, delicate kisses across her breast, her warm breath tickling the back of his neck with every exhale.

They reluctantly separated and he laid his body next to her own on the floor, immediately gathering her into his arms. She rested her head on his chest, smiling softly at the rapid beat of his heart. They lay there in silence, happy, relieved, knowing the past few weeks were exactly that…in the past, and House suddenly found himself excited to face the future, as long as she remained there in his arms.

"Marry me," he simply said.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

His widened eyes mirrored her own as she sharply lifted her head to look at him. Neither could believe the words that had just come from his mouth. He temporarily stopped time long enough to step out of his body and look around the room, searching for the person who uttered those words because it sure as hell wasn't him…_was it?_

He looked back at Cameron, lying naked in his arms, their two forms so natural together, so perfect. _Yes_, he thought to himself, _I did say it_. And he had meant it. Nothing seemed more right to him than the idea of spending the rest of his life with her.

House was quickly snapped back into reality from his out-of-body experience by the sound of her hysterical laughter. He smiled at the hilarity drawn across her face, but he couldn't quite understand why she was laughing. Was she laughing at him?

She put her hand over her mouth and sat up on the floor. When she finally stopped to catch her breath, she laid a hand on his chest and leant down to kiss him.

"You're funny," she said, laying her lips on his.

"I know, I'm hilarious," he responded, slightly confused. "But I wasn't trying to be just then."

Her smile disappeared as she searched his blazing eyes.

"You're serious?" she asked, flabbergasted.

He sat up on the floor to face her. "You didn't think I was?"

She questioned him with a look.

He shrugged. "Ok, yeah, so I'm not always serious."

"Are you ever serious?"

He thought a moment. "I try not to be…but sometimes, the occasion calls for it."

She dropped her jaw, her mind searching for the right words but producing nothing. All she could do was shake her head in amazement. But he could read it in her eyes…his question was probably not the wisest choice. The more he replayed the question in his mind, however, the more he wanted it.

He watched the stunned silence make its way through her emotions until she was finally able to speak.

She lowered her eyes to the ground.

"We just had a major fight about things moving too quickly," she whispered. "And now you want to get married?"

"I wouldn't necessarily say we fought…more like a temporary moment of insanity from which we recovered quite nicely," he responded, wagging his eyebrows and nodding towards the floor.

"Greg," she said, catching his eyes in her own. "I'm still adjusting to just moving in together…to…to this," she said, motioning between the two of them. "It's only been a few months. I'm not really sure either of us is ready for a lifelong commitment."

Her words cut him, and he tried to understand where she was coming from. But Greg House never could quite understand women, and when it came to getting what he wanted, he refused to surrender to anything standing in his way.

"So what, you're planning on living with me for a while and then dumping me and moving out?"

She furrowed her brow and shook her head.

"Then you're planning on staying here with me indefinitely…I know I'm not experienced in the department of marital relations like you are, but isn't that just like being married? So we join our bank accounts and you change your name…not much of an adjustment to me."

"No, it is a big adjustment. Yes, I've been married before. My marriage, unfortunately, was probably harder than most since I had to tend to my dying husband through most of it. But all that aside, I know how much of a commitment it is," replied Cameron.

"And I'm pretty sure we just solidified our commitment to each other on the floor ten minutes ago," House said.

She smirked. "Really? I thought it was just make up sex."

"Hmmm, raunchy comeback. Looks like I'm a bad influence on you. No turning back now. You might as well marry me. I doubt you'll find any other man who will stand for your smartass remarks."

She sighed deeply and took his hand in hers.

"Greg, I love you, so much it consumes me, and yes, sometimes it even frightens me a little. For the past three years I have thought of nothing else than what it would be like to be with you, just like this, and now that I have you, it's taking me a while to adjust to the reality," Cameron explained.

"You mean from the fantasy? Guess I didn't turn out to be quite the Prince Charming you imagined in your dreams," House said.

"On the contrary…you turned out to be even better, and yes, it surprised me."

She slid closer to him, opening her legs so she could straddle his hips and slowly place herself in his lap, ensuring all her weight sat on his good leg. He wrapped his arms around her, his body already responding to her moist warmth that hovered dangerously above his growing erection.

"I love you…let's just keep living together and make sure we can handle that without killing each other or ourselves before we even consider taking such a big step like…" she trailed off.

"The M-word?" he finished for her.

She laughed. "Yes…that."

He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, then opened them quickly, simultaneously grabbing her hips, lifting her slightly, and sheathing himself within her. She gasped in surprise as her eyes widened once more.

"Whoa, wasn't expecting that," she said, exhaling sharply.

"Apparently I'm full of surprises tonight," he replied, grinning.

She nodded as she began to move her hips. His hands slid up her back as he watched her face contort in pleasure.

"Ok," he said, closing his eyes for a second to enjoy the friction her hips were creating, her velvety walls tightly closing around him with each movement. He opened his eyes again to find her grinning at him seductively. "You've won this round, but I still don't agree and therefore, I am not letting you off the hook."

She turned her head to the side, still smiling. "What does that mean?"

"That I'm going to keep asking you until you realize that I'm right and you say yes." He grabbed her hips tightly and pushed her down hard while he thrust into her with a force. She cried out and threw her head back. Her nails dug into his shoulders.

"I'm not going to give up that easily," she managed to say breathlessly.

"Then I guess I'll have to put up one hell of a fight," he said, thrusting fast and hard into her once more, then again, and again.

Cameron was finally unable to speak, so she shut him up, too, by capturing his lips in a passionate kiss, shoving her tongue into his mouth until he was so consumed by the sensations of their union that his mind switched off and his body took over.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Mornin'," House said cheerfully, limping into the diagnostics office and dropping his knapsack on the chair.

His three underlings regarded him conspicuously. He was more chipper than usual, which in and of itself was a rare mood for him. Needless to say, they often knew when he and Dr. Cameron had a night of amazing sex, a fact that none of them were very comfortable with being able to discover. On the up side, it meant he'd be less of a prick to them…hopefully.

Matthews rolled his eyes at his boss's demeanor, knowing full well why he was in such a good mood. It had been a few weeks since they'd seen him this way, so Matthews knew he and Cameron had overcome whatever hurdle was standing in their way and now are now happy lovebirds once again. It made his stomach tighten. Only a few months earlier Matthews had attempted to act on his feelings for Cameron, only be to be shot down by her and ridiculed by his boss. It had been an embarrassing situation for him, and while he pretended everything was all said and done, he couldn't help the fact that she did still stir something within him. Alas, he knew she was over the moon for House and she'd never look at him twice. So he suffered in silence.

"Good night?" he asked quietly, a hint of disdain in his tone.

House approached the whiteboard and grabbed a marker.

"Not really, I proposed to my girlfriend and she said no," House responded, a grin on his face.

The three turned to him wide-eyed, jaws to the floor.

"You proposed…" Matthews managed to mumble out.

"And she said no?" asked Reynolds, sounding surprised.

House remained focused on the whiteboard, still smiling.

"Then why are you in such a good mood?" Owens asked finally.

House finally looked at them. "Oh, did I forget to mention the mind-blowing make up sex, and then three more times after that?"

All three shook their heads and turned their eyes back to the stack of charts on the table. "Yes, you forgot to mention that," spat Matthews.

"Not that it's any of my business, House, but apart from…that…you still seem in a better mood than most men would be if they proposed to their girlfriends and were turned down," said Reynolds.

House turned the whiteboard towards the window so the three doctors could not see what he was busily writing on its surface.

"Owens, do we have any new cases?" House asked, ignoring Reynolds.

Owens sat up straight and cleared his throat. "No, not yet…"

"Good, page Dr. Cameron for a consult," House said.

Owens wrinkled his brow, confused. "But, we don't have any cases…"

House put the pen back on the cap and looked at Owens. "Page Dr. Cameron, Owens…for a consult." He spoke the last part slowly to try to get Owens to understand, but judging by his expression it didn't work.

"He wants you to page her to lure her here," Matthews explained to Owens, annoyed.

"Thank you Dr. Love," House said. "It's true. Since she woke up at the crack of dawn to come into work as she usually does and was not in her office when I finally got here, I haven't had a chance to talk to her yet today, and there's something I really need to discuss with her."

Three sets of annoyed eyes stared up at him.

"What?" he said, shrugging. "I promise it's work related."

Owens sighed and picked up the phone.

"He asked me to marry him," Cameron said quietly, her eyes transfixed on her hands folded gentle over her knees.

"What!" Cuddy exclaimed, standing from her seat.

Cameron couldn't help but laugh. Cuddy made her way out from behind her desk towards Cameron who was seated in the chair across from her.

"And what did you say?" Cuddy asked.

"I said no."

Cuddy threw her hands in the air. "Why?"

Cameron looked at her, surprised. "What do you mean, why? We just got over a major hiccup in our relationship because I thought we were moving too fast. Marriage isn't exactly taking things slow."

"Allison," Cuddy said, leaning on her desk. "You have thought of nothing but Gregory House since you first stepped foot in this hospital. And now you have him practically eating out of your hand, worshipping the very ground you walk on, shouting his love for you from the rooftops, or plastering it all over the walls of this place in this case. And now he asks you to spend the rest of your life with him. And you say no?"

Listening to Cuddy, Cameron had to admit she had a point.

"You're right, you're absolutely right. And yes, I do want to spend the rest of my life with him. I mean, I know I almost screwed things up by chickening out on getting so serious, but the truth is I can't imagine my life without him. It's just…"

"You've been married and you know what a commitment it is?" Cuddy said, finishing her sentence.

"Yes." Cameron sighed and slouched back in the chair.

"Allison, your first marriage was not like most. You married a dying man, a man you had to physically and emotionally care for until the moment he passed away. Of course you would feel that way. Are you afraid it's going to be that intense with House?"

Cameron snickered. "House? Intense? Nooooo."

Cuddy laughed. "I know, right? Geeze, I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like being married to him." She shook her head.

"He's different outside of this place, Lisa," Cameron said, turning suddenly serious. "He's sensitive, caring, loving…and he always makes me feel like I'm the most important thing in the world to him."

"So would you be willing to allow yourself to have that for the rest of your life?"

Cameron glanced out the window, staring intently at the shadows made by the trees as if she was trying to see her certain future within them. The sound of her pager going off startled her back to reality.

"It's Diagnostics...they need a consult."

"That's funny…I didn't give them any new cases recently," Cuddy said.

Cameron smirked. "I believe you."

A few minutes later Cameron approached the door to Diagnostics. She was first met by Reynolds, Owens and Matthews, who all regarded her with a look that said "please save us from this torture."

Then House came into view.

"Dr. Cameron, I need a consult," he said, turning the whiteboard around to face her. She stopped in her tracks.

WILL YOU MARRY ME? was scribbled across the white laminate in blue marker, with little red hearts messily strewn around the words.

"You're dragging them into this now?" Cameron said, motioning towards the three doctors.

"Well I needed someone from this office to page you, since you probably would have thought I was up to something had I paged you," House replied.

"Right, and the fact that I was in Cuddy's office when you paged me, where she alerted me to the fact that she didn't give you any new cases…no, that wouldn't have thrown me off at all," Cameron said, smiling.

House rolled his eyes and dropped his head, then he put on his best puppy dog face and looked back at her.

"Pweese?" he said.

"Ok, I gotta get the hell out of here. I'll be in the clinic," Matthews said, rising and hurrying out of the office.

"We're right behind you," said Reynolds, following suit with Owens at her side.

"I think you're making them sick," Cameron said.

"So is that a yes?" House asked.

Cameron stared at the whiteboard in silence. Suddenly her pager went off again.

"Saved by the bell," House said.

She laughed nervously. "I gotta go…we'll talk about this later." She turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

"I'm not giving up," he shouted after her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Cameron entered her office and sat at her desk. She sighed heavily and put her head in her hands, letting her thumbs gently massage her temples. After a moment, she composed herself and glanced at her pager again. She smirked. Wilson. She wondered how long it would take Cuddy to tell him.

"I thought I'd save you the phone call and just walk down the hall instead," came his voice from the doorway. She glanced up.

"Hey Wilson. Heard the news?"

He shook his head. "I…I'm literally in shock."

She smiled. "I thought you'd be in his office right about now, not mine."

"I wanted to make sure you were ok before I went to question his sanity," Wilson replied, sitting in the chair across from her desk.

"I'm fine, really," she said.

"So?"

She questioned him with her eyes. "What do you mean, so?"

"Lisa said you said no to his proposal…did you mean it?"

She read something in the way he was looking at her, as if he was implying she may have said no, but she really wants to say yes.

"Wilson, I…I don't know, I'm…" she sighed again, and dropped her head on her arms that were resting on top of her desk. She felt defeated.

"Allison, you shouldn't feel pressured into making any decision this big," Wilson said softly. "You deserve to take all the time in the world."

"Yeah, but would he wait that long?" she responded, her head still buried in her arms.

Wilson chuckled. "For you? Um…yeah, I think he would."

She lifted her head and stared intently at him.

"Seriously, James. Would he?"

Wilson's smirk dissolved. He leaned forward and took her hand in his.

"Yes, he would." His answer was simple but meaningful. She smiled at him. He was such a good friend. House was lucky to have a friend like Wilson in his life, especially when he was his only friend. His loyalty and genuine caring for House more than made up for what House lacked elsewhere in the relationship department.

"Thanks, James. But, you're right. It is a big decision, and while in my heart I feel like I want to say yes, something in my brain is telling me to hold back. It's too fast. Too soon."

He squeezed her hand. "Do you love him?"

She met his eyes. "With everything that I am."

"Then maybe you should search for clarity in that. Sometimes you should turn off your brain and just let your heart lead you."

She hesitated a moment. "Is that enough? I mean, did you think it was when you entered into each of your marriages? You of all people know what a huge commitment marriage is, and how much of a heartbreak it can be when it doesn't work out."

He smirked and released her hand, sitting back in the chair.

"Oh, James, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"No, it's ok," he said, holding up his hands. "You're absolutely right. I guess I am the resident expert in marriage and divorce around this place. I guess…I guess I just fall in love easily, and it's true what they say, love can blind you."

She smiled gently. "You see?"

He sat forward quickly. "But what you and House have? It's different. I've seen you together, I've heard you both talk about each other. It's unlike anything I've ever witnessed. With you two…it's the real thing. I've never had anything like that…never."

She watched him closely. "But…now?"

He dropped his gaze to the floor. "You mean, with Lisa?"

"Yes."

He blushed at the mention of her name, and Cameron couldn't help but think how cute it was. "I don't know. I mean, with her it's…it's definitely different. She's unlike any woman I've ever dated before."

"And how does she make you feel?"

He thought a moment and smiled, lifting his eyes to Cameron's. "Like I'm alive for the very first time."

Cameron met his smile. "Sounds like love to me."

He shrugged. "Maybe it is. But I'm determined to take it easy with this one, to not screw this one up. She's too important to me."

"Maybe I feel the same way," Cameron said, furrowing her brow.

Wilson reached across the desk and took her hand again. "You may feel scared and unsure now, but maybe if you just let reason fall away and just look at him, really look at him, you'll see that your whole life is entwined with his. There's no mistaking the two of you are joined already, and from what I've seen, that bond is pretty strong. I've known House a long time. Since he's been with you, I feel like I've witnessed a miracle. You honestly saved him, Allison."

"He didn't need saving. He only needed to be loved," she said.

"No, he needed to be saved, and your love did that for him," Wilson said. They stared at each other a moment until the silence turned slightly awkward.

"Hey," Wilson said finally, releasing her hand. "How about grabbing an early lunch?"

"You're not going to go see House?"

Wilson stood. "Ok, I lied. I stopped in his office on the way down the hall and he was nowhere to be found. I did see the whiteboard proposal, however."

Cameron blushed and shook her head. "Romantic, huh? He even dragged his poor team into it."

"Oh, I bet Matthews was thrilled with that."

She laughed. "He was the first one out the door."

Wilson sighed. "Well, no doubt House is off planning his next attempt at a proposal, so we might as well get something to eat."

"Oh, I hope he's not looking for a skywriter or anything like that," she said, closing her eyes and silent praying to be spared the embarrassment.

Wilson laughed. "Come on."

Wilson and Cameron headed for the cafeteria. It was still early and the cafeteria was nearly empty, and Cameron was grateful. She got her usual grilled chicken salad while Wilson opted for turkey sandwich.

They took a seat at a small table near the window and ate their lunch over pleasant conversation. Wilson decided to change the subject since he could tell she was stressed and would probably rather talk about something else…for the moment.

Cameron pierced a few salad leaves with her fork when she noticed a person approaching them out of the corner of her eye.

"Still eating grilled chicken salads for lunch," said the male voice with its all-too-familiar Australian accent. "Not much has changed."

She looked up quickly to find the blonde haired, blue eyed doctor and his youthful, dashing smile gazing right back at her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Chase? What are you doing here!" Cameron exclaimed, standing and embracing him.

He returned the hug by wrapping his arms around her waist and giving her a tight squeeze.

"Just happened to be in the neighborhood," he replied.

She stood back and regarded him with wide eyes, surprised to see him standing before her. The last time they laid eyes on each other they were saying goodbye at the airport, resolved in their decision to end their romantic relationship, but vowing to remain friends. Everyone knows how that usually works out. She hadn't spoken to him since that day.

"Business or pleasure?" Wilson said, standing and shaking his hand.

"Good to see you, Wilson. Uh…pleasure, actually," Chase said, laughing nervously. "I suppose."

Wilson and Cameron both questioned him with their eyes.

"I…uh…I actually came here to see you, Allison," said Chase.

Her eyes widened even more. "Me? Why?"

"I needed to talk to you…" Chase trailed off, his gaze moving uncomfortably towards Wilson. Wilson took the hint.

"You know I am meeting a patient in twenty minutes so I should get going. It was good to see you Chase. I hope you get a chance to say hi to everyone while you're visiting," Wilson said, smiling on the outside but inwardly shaking in his boots. Chase was here to see Cameron…Wilson prayed this had no repercussions on her relationship with House. He knew Chase and Cameron hadn't spoken since he left, so he probably didn't even know she was with House.

"I plan on it," Chase said, smiling back at him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your lunch."

"No, we were just finishing up," Wilson said, patting Chase on the arm. "I'll see you later, Allison."

Cameron looked at Wilson nervously. She hoped he wasn't about to run to track down House, to tell him what was currently transpiring in the cafeteria.

"Ok, thanks for lunch," she replied, her voice wavering. She watched him disappear through the doors and the lump finally formed in her throat.

"So," she laughed nervously. "What's going on? How's Virginia?" She sat back down in her seat and he sat in Wilson's chair.

"It's great…wonderful actually," he said. "No complaints."

"That's really good to hear, Chase." She began to fidget, continuously tucking a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. She couldn't believe how nervous she was.

They kept glancing at each other, then darting their eyes around the room. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Why are you here, Chase?" she asked, her tone turning serious.

He sighed deeply and lowered his gaze to the table.

"I…I hate how we left things," he said quietly.

She raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Allison. We ended it because long distance relationships rarely work, even though I wanted you to come with me."

"You know I couldn't leave, I had too good a thing here," she said softly.

"Right," he said, piercing her with his eyes. "You mean, House."

She glared at him. "No, I mean becoming the head of Immunology. It was too good an offer to pass up."

"You passed it up the first time Cuddy offered it to you," he recalled.

She shrugged. "I didn't feel ready for it then. When I resigned from House's department, I felt ready."

They stared at each other.

"What do you want, Chase? Did you come here to see if I still had feelings for you? Did you want to rekindle our romantic relationship?"

He chuckled to himself.

"Because I'm a little confused as to why you made the trip up here. Something tells me it has more to do with than just a friendly visit," Cameron said.

"I just…I had to see you. I had to find out the answer to one question," he said, running his fingers through his perfect, blonde hair. Cameron had to admit he was even more handsome than ever. She could never deny that.

"What question?"

"Do you?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Do I what?"

"Still have feelings for me?"

Wilson stepped off the elevator and approached his office, his mind racing with what to do about Chase's surprise visit. As House's best and only friend, he felt he should find House and let him know. But his well-mannered side told him to stay out of it, that it was Cameron and House's business and it was her right to tell him herself.

He opened the door to his office and closed it behind him, leaning his back against the door and throwing his head back. He sighed, exasperated. When did this hospital become its own private soap opera?

A quick knock on the door startled him. The door knob turned and he backed away from the door. Cuddy stepped through, smiling and closing the door behind her. She slid her hands up his chest and around his neck.

"I've missed you," she whispered, drawing him into a passionate kiss. The pleasure of her lips on his quieted his worries and left him feeling utterly euphoric.

She pulled away and opened her eyes. "You ok?" she asked.

"I am now," he said, pulling her back in for another kiss.

She smiled and stepped away from him. "Seriously…what's going on?"

He held on to her hand and started to laugh, shaking his head. "The House and Cameron saga just got worse."

"Worse? I thought a marriage proposal was pretty great. I mean, Cameron's obviously struggling with the decision, but I think she'll finally cave and say yes," Cuddy replied, laughing.

"Chase is here."

Cuddy ceased her laugh and gasped. "Chase?"

Wilson nodded.

"He's talking to Cameron in the cafeteria at this very moment."

"What is he doing here?"

"He said he needed to see her," Wilson said, releasing her hand and dropping heavily into his chair.

Cuddy put her finger to her lips as if deep in thought. "Where's House?" she asked, concerned.

Wilson threw his hands in the air. "No idea. He vanished after his latest marriage proposal."

Cuddy raised her eyebrows.

"You can still see it on the whiteboard in his office," Wilson added.

Cuddy shook her head and sat in the chair next to Wilson. "Are you going to find him and tell him?"

"I don't think it's my place."

"You're right. Cameron should tell him. Hmmm…" Cuddy looked off into the distance.

"What are you doing?"

"Thinking."

Wilson leaned forward, watching her intently.

"About what? You're not going to tell House, are you?"

"No, but if he knew Chase was here to see Cameron, you have to admit it would be fun to watch that," she laughed mischievously.

Wilson laughed. "Yes, I will admit that."

"Even better," she continued, her eyes wide. "I should offer Chase a job."

House turned the corner, his eyes transfixed on the road before him as he rode his motorcycle along the streets of Princeton. He knew he had a stupid smile plastered across his face, a result of the purchase he had just made twenty minutes ago that was currently nestled protectively within the inside pocket of his leather jacket.

The minute he saw the nicely sized, yet simple diamond in its platinum setting, he knew it was the perfect ring for her. He was bound and determined to win this latest challenge, to get her to say yes. It was all he could think about since the night before, since he held her in his arms, their fears finally conquered and all he could see was her. He knew this was right. He knew she was supposed to be his, 'till death did they part.

The intersection approached, and the light turned yellow. Anxious to get back to the hospital and to her, he revved the engine to beat the light. His helmet shielded him from viewing the pick up truck speeding into the intersection, equally anxious and anticipating his own light to turn green.

He felt the pressure of the car clipping the back of his bike, he felt the lightness of flying through the air, then he felt the pain of his body being dragged along asphalt. Then everything went dark…and quiet.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Nurse Mary answered the call coming in from the dispatcher. Adult male, late forties, motorcycle accident, multiple fractures, loss of consciousness. Possible internal injuries. ETA five minutes.

Mary jotted down the info and put the staff on alert. No sooner had she started the chart did the paramedics burst through the ER doors wheeling their patient in on a gurney. He was strapped to a board and the one paramedic was squeezing the oxygen bag over his mouth.

Mary ran to the gurney's side along with one of the ER doctors to assess the patient and go through the run down with the paramedics. Upon seeing his face, which was barely marred thanks to his helmet, the doctor and Mary both froze and gasped.

"Oh no," she whispered.

"In here," the doctor urgently ordered. The paramedics wheeled him into an empty bay where the staff then transferred him to a table. The other nurses proceeded to hook him up to the various monitors while the doctor checked his vision with his light. Pupils unresponsive.

Mary remained frozen, eyeing House's crumpled body lying lifeless on the table as the doctor worked him over. There was a lot of blood, and a bone poking through the flesh of his right calf from an obvious break. He was not looking good.

The doctor turned to her. "Page Dr. Cuddy," he said hoarsely. Mary nodded and ran to the phone. After paging Cuddy with the news, she picked up the phone and quickly dialed Dr. Cameron's pager number.

"Chase…I…I don't understand…" Cameron scrambled to speak.

"It's simple. Yes or no. Do you still have feelings for me?" Chase asked, adamant.

Cameron could feel herself getting angry. Why did he need to know so badly? As far as she was concerned, their relationship was long over and any feelings she ever had for him had faded away into mere memories from what seemed like a lifetime ago. She had a new life now, a life with a man who answered all of her prayers…a man who wanted to spend the rest of his life with her…and she finally realized it, she truly wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

She had to find him. She had to tell him…yes. Yes, she would marry him.

Her heart felt light, like a huge weight that had been shackled around it finally broke free. Staring into Chase's urgent eyes, she finally found herself free of doubt. Free of any fear of committing her life to Greg's. He was her destiny, and she would no longer hide from it.

"No, Chase…I don't," she simply replied.

He stared at her a moment then looked down at the table. He laughed quietly to himself.

She watched him, delicately gauging his response. "You don't seem too disappointed, I think," she said.

"I…I'm sorry, Allison. I just had to know," he said softly.

"Why?"

He was silent a moment. "I'm getting married."

Cameron raised her eyebrows in surprise, completely taken aback. Of all the things he could say, that was the one thing she was totally not expecting.

"Wow," was all she could say.

He laughed. "I know, surprising, isn't it?"

"No, it's just…well, yes, a bit. Why...when…"

"This weekend."

Cameron's jaw remained on the floor. She couldn't comprehend it.

"So why…why are you here?"

Chase sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Cold feet, I guess? It's a big step, you know. I mean a REAL big step," he said, nervously. "I guess…I guess when you're about to pledge your life to someone else, you know, forever, it kind of makes you take a look back at all the unanswered questions, unrequited loves, and just want to make you see if…"

"If there's still a chance?" she finished for him.

"Yeah."

"To make a run for it?" she said, smiling.

He laughed. "I guess."

"Chase…I'm with House now."

He lifted his eyes to her and widened them. "House? Really?"

She nodded.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised. I knew it was only a matter of time."

"What does that mean?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"He's why you stayed here. He's why you didn't come to Virginia with me. He is why you and I could never make it work," Chase stated unphased.

She was about to protest, to tell him he was wrong in his assumptions, but after a brief moment to process his words, she couldn't argue.

"You're right, he's the reason for it all. He loves me, Chase. And…and we're getting married," Cameron said, hearing the words spoken aloud for the first time and feeling utterly joyous at the sound of them.

Chase was surprised. "Married? To House?"

"Why is that such a shock?"

"I just…never saw House as the marrying type."

Again, she couldn't argue. "Neither did I," she said, laughing.

"I guess love can change a man," Chase said, smiling at her.

Cameron met his eyes and smiled back. "So tell me about the lucky lady you're trying to run from."

Chase broke his gaze and laughed. "I'm not running. I…I think I really do love her."

"You think? Chase, you better be damn sure, I mean it's like you said…forever."

"Yes…yes I do love her. Her name is Gwen and…"

The sound of Cameron's pager going off interrupted their conversation. Cameron glanced down at it and wrinkled her brow. An emergency call from the ER. No further details. Why would they be paging her?

"Guess they need some help in the ER," she said.

"I'll walk with you," said Chase.

Cuddy and Wilson were laughing hysterically in his office, running through all the various scenarios of House and Chase vying for Cameron's affections while trying to work together.

Wilson grabbed her hand and pulled her to sit on his lap. She enthusiastically obliged, immediately moving in to brush her lips against his. She placed her hand on his cheek as she kissed him, their tongues dancing together. Wilson slid his hand over her hip and down her thigh, increasing the heat within their kiss as his hand began to explore.

Cuddy's pager sounded. Wilson had half a mind to throw it across the room and watch it shatter into a thousand pieces, but he gathered she would be none too happy with him if he did that, nor in the "making out" mood.

She pulled away from him and sighed, frustrated and annoyed as she grabbed the pager from her hip. She read the message quickly then gasped and read it again, slowly.

"Oh my god," she whispered, turning to Wilson. He looked at her frantic expression, confused and concerned.

"What is it?" he asked, as she jumped off his lap and straightened her skirt. He sat up.

"There's been an accident," she said, her voice shaking. "It's House."

They ran from Wilson's office toward the elevators.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Cameron took her time getting down to the Emergency Room. She had a feeling they'd ask her to work, and she really didn't have the energy for it. But she also figured they must be back logged with patients, so if they needed her, she'd do her job. She was happy to have Chase join her on the elevator ride down. He told her a bit more about Gwen, his fiancée, and they even had some time to reminisce about the old days.

"Do you still talk to Foreman?" she asked.

"From time to time. He sent me an email about two weeks ago. He seems pretty happy in private practice. He's actually dating a nurse," Chase said, grinning.

"Foreman is dating? I never thought he'd let anyone in," Cameron said, watching the numbers descend.

"Yeah, he was always like House that way…" Chase stopped himself. Cameron glared at him.

"People can change," she said.

"Sure, sure they can," Chase agreed.

Cameron laughed. "Are you going to see him?"

"Who, House?"

"Yeah."

Chase stared at the metal door in front of him. "I don't know; it would probably be better if I didn't."

"Oh come on, Chase, we're all adults here. And besides, you're getting married."

"And so are you…I know, I probably should have never come here."

Cameron put her hand on his shoulder. "You had to figure some things out. You're a little nervous about getting married. It's ok. I'm glad I could help…I hope I did help."

"You did," he said, taking her hand and squeezing it.

The elevator finally slid to a halt and the doors opened. Cameron and Chase stepped out. People started to look at them, eyes wide, faces pale, worry and concern written all over their faces. Cameron felt confused. Were they giving her these looks because she was with Chase?

"What's going on?" Chase asked, noticing the stares.

"I'm not sure," Cameron said, moving towards the nurse's station. "Hi," she said to Nurse Mary. "I was paged?"

Mary looked up and immediately teared up upon seeing Cameron.

"Dr. Cameron…I…I don't…" she tried to say.

"What's going on, Mary?"

Cameron looked around the frantic room. She stopped when she saw Wilson, standing in front of a closed curtain, his hand on his head, his cheeks flushed, his shoulders hunched. He looked horrible. She saw him look up at the curtain, then turn his head towards her.

She met his eyes.

_Oh, God_, she thought.

"Mary…where's Dr. House?" Cameron found herself asking in a monotonous tone.

"There was an accident, he was hit…" Mary mumbled.

Cameron knew he had driven his motorcycle that day. Wilson quickly made his way towards her.

"Allison…" Wilson started to speak.

Cameron didn't want to hear it. Nothing he could say would help her at this moment. She didn't need any explanations, no condolences, no one to hug her close and tell her it would be all right. She watched the feet busily moving around the exam table behind the curtain, including a pair of black pumps she knew had to be Cuddy's.

Suddenly everything fell silent. She stared into Wilson's eyes as he began talking, but she couldn't hear anything, like when she was a child and would put her hands over her ears muffling all the sounds around her. Things seemed to slow down, until one sound pierced her very soul. A flat line.

"House, damn it," Cuddy shouted from behind the curtain. "Don't do this to me."

Cameron gasped and felt the heat of her tears in her eyes. Wilson had stopped talking, the fear written clearly across his face. Chase's hand was on her shoulder, squeezing, offering his support.

She wanted none of it. She only wanted him, her love, the man who wanted to marry her. The man who gave her his delicate heart…the heart that had just stopped beating.

"No!" she shouted, running towards the curtain and tearing it open.

The sight before her immediately made her sick to her stomach. He was sprawled out on the table, his left leg broken, his body so bloodied and bruised, his hands lying lifeless at his sides, his shirt cut off of him and Cuddy standing over him shooting jolts of electricity into his heart with the paddles.

"Clear!" Cuddy shouted before shocking him again.

Cameron watched the monitor desperately, internally battling with herself to bury the emotion and act like a doctor. It felt near impossible to do so…he meant too much to her to not let her fear overwhelm her.

"Greg," she whispered. "Please…please don't leave me." Cameron closed her eyes and for the first time…she prayed. To no one in particular. To anyone who would listen. _Please, don't take him from me_.

Cameron took one step and reached out her hand, brushing her fingers softly along his foot.

Beep.

All eyes moved to the monitor.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"We got a rhythm," one doctor shouted.

"He's back," Cuddy said, smiling. She finally noticed Cameron standing at House's feet. "Allison."

Cuddy put the paddles away and took Cameron by the shoulders, leading her away from House.

Cameron wanted to protest but she couldn't speak. She looked earnestly at Cuddy.

"Allison, he has internal injuries. We're going to move him to the OR now and prep him for surgery."

"I'm going with him," Cameron said, finally finding words. "I'm standing in on the surgery."

"I don't think that's a good idea..."

"Lisa…please," Cameron said, a single tear falling down her cheek. "He's all I have in this world."

Cuddy sighed and looked back at House. Then she glanced over at Wilson who was staring at her. _Let her go_, he seemed to say with his eyes. Cuddy smiled gently at him, knowing that if she were in Cameron's place, if it had been Wilson on that table, she'd want to be by his side, too.

"Ok," Cuddy said. "But only to observe."

After stabilizing House, they rolled the bed quickly toward the elevators. Cameron hung back a moment, staring at the debris scattered around the floor. They had cut one of his favorite band t-shirts off of him. _He won't be happy about that_, she thought. His jeans were completely covered in blood, as were his sneakers. There was no sign of his cane, which she only imagined had been smashed to smitherines by whatever had hit his motorcycle.

She bent down and gathered his leather jacket into her arms. He loved this jacket. Now it was torn, dirty, bloody…she'd buy him a new one. Under the stench of blood and asphalt she could still smell the scent of him, the musky, masculine deliciousness of him ingrained in the leather. She hugged the jacket close to her body, pretending it was him in her arms once more. She couldn't lose him. She just couldn't.

The jacket still in her arms, she ran towards the elevators to follow House up to the OR. Wilson and Chase joined her, not wanting to leave her alone for a second. She didn't speak, only held the jacket close. She felt something in his inside pocket. Digging her hands into the pocket, she felt the small, velvet box brush against her fingers. She pulled it out and the three of them stared at it.

Cameron gripped the box as if it was her last hold on him. She wouldn't open it, though. He bought that ring for a reason, and she knew he'd still have a chance to give it to her himself.

"Wilson," she said, choking back her tears.

"Yes," he said quietly.

"I think you should hold on to this for him…looks kind of important," she said, handing him the box.

Wilson took the box from her shaking hand. Cameron kept her eyes focused on the floor.

"I'll keep it safe," he said, taking her hand in his. He had meant more than just the ring…he would keep her safe, too, for House. For he knew that Cameron was more important to House than anything else in this world.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The doors opened and Cameron left her two companions to quickly scrub in. She was assisted into a gown and mask before making her way into the OR. He had been intibated and hooked up to all the other monitors.

Cameron sat by his head, the surgeons work in plain sight, but she remained focused on his face. The sight of the scalpel slicing open his abdomen out of the corner of her eye was too much to bear, so she took deep breaths and stared at his closed eyes.

She gently rubbed her fingers along his cheek, wishing away the rubber glove barrier between their contact. In the distance, she could hear the surgeons noting they had found the lacerated areas and were stitching them up. Someone said the damage was not as bad as they had expected. _Is that supposed to be good news?_ she thought. _He's still lying on a table sliced open with his guts hanging out._

She closed her eyes and regained her focus. She tried to imagine if she was his place, knowing that he was sitting right beside her, what would she want him to do?

_Talk to me._

Leaning in close, she brushed her lips gently against his ear.

"You know, when I came back from Norway you told me I wasn't allowed to go anywhere ever again without you," she said. "Well that goes for you, too. So don't even think about leaving me, or we'll really have something to fight about then. No more broken promises."

The surgeons stopped the bleeding and began closing up. Next they would reset his fractured leg. One surgeon turned to her and gave her a reassuring look. She smiled at him. Glancing up, she saw Wilson, Cuddy and Chase standing in the observation deck. Her smile relieved them all.

"You're going to be ok," she said, close to his ear once more. "Although, you'll probably be sore for a while. Oh geeze, you're going to a bear to live with, even more than usual," she said, trying to keep it light, to let him know she wasn't afraid, even though she was dying inside.

"Greg," she whispered, kissing his cheek and his ear. "I love you so much."

She stared at him, wondering if any of this was even having an effect on him. Could he even hear her? As a doctor she didn't believe he could; in her heart, she hoped he could.

"Greg, you've given me a lot to think about today, before you decided to go for a joyride in the middle of a work day and get your bike all smashed up, and yourself for that matter. But ever since last night, there's been a question continuously popping up between us. I want you to know that before I even got the call that you were hurt, I had already found my answer…in a most unlikely place, by the way," she said, glancing up at Chase. "But my answer is yes."

She watched House, looking for any sign of recognition, but there was nothing. She sighed heavily before leaning close once more and just nuzzling him, inhaling him, brushing her lips along his face. From the very start of their relationship, their need for constant physical contact was never questioned. They both thrived on it. Their touch was so powerful, powerful enough for her to believe it could heal him.

Two hours after the surgery had begun, the surgeons were finished. Internal bleeding was under control, broken leg was set and put into a cast, and Gregory House was wheeled into recovery. He was still unconscious, but everyone was hopeful he'd wake up once the anesthesia wore off. House lived with pain on a daily basis, and Cameron, Wilson and Cuddy all knew that his pain would be worse for a short time. They all worried what kind of mood this would put him in, and what they would have to endure.

But Cameron didn't care. He was alive. She could deal with House being a miserable, whining bastard…but she couldn't deal with losing him completely. This would be one test of their relationship she was determined not to let them fail.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

A few hours later a still unconscious House was moved out of recovery to a room, and Cameron was left alone at his bedside. She had fallen asleep, her head resting on House's limp arm, the familiar scent of him bringing her strange comfort. The sudden feeling of a hand caressing her hair startled her awake.

"Greg?" she whispered.

But his eyes remained closed.

"Sorry," she heard from behind her. "It's just me."

She turned to find Chase standing over her. "Chase? What time is it?"

"It's almost 8:30." Chase glanced over House's monitors. "Looks like he's still stable and hanging in there." He looked at Cameron and noticed her pale complexion and dark-ringed eyes. "Do you want something to eat?" he asked, concerned.

She rubbed the drowsiness from her eyes and thought a moment. "No," she replied. "I don't want to leave him, in case he wakes up."

"I could bring something back for you," he said.

She stood. "Thanks Chase, but I'll be ok."

He smiled at her. "I know."

They stared at each other a moment before Cameron broke the gaze. 

"Well, I need to get back, I…I got an earlier flight home," said Chase.

Cameron met his eyes again. "Anxious to get home?"

He smiled again. "I just talked to Gwen…I told her the truth. She was amazingly understanding. I think…I think everything's going to be ok."

Cameron narrowed her eyes. "Ok…ok as in you're still getting married on Saturday? Or ok as in we broke up but she understands…"

"No," Chase laughed. "No, I'm still getting married on Saturday."

Cameron smiled at him. "That's great, Chase. I really do wish you every happiness."

They exchanged awkward smiles yet again, until Cameron really looked at him. Chase played such a vital role in her history of relationships, opened her eyes to the possibility of true love, offered her physical and emotional comfort as both a lover and a friend. There should be no awkwardness between them.

She wrapped her arms around Chase and hugged him tightly. He relaxed against her, grateful for the walls dropping between them, and hugged her back. He smiled as he buried his face in her shoulder.

They pulled back from each other and she placed her palm on his cheek as he smiled at her.

"Thanks, Allison…for everything," he said, squeezing her hand.

"What the hell are you doing?" came a grumbling voice from behind them. A startled Chase and Cameron turned to find House glaring at them with half-lidded eyes.

"Greg!" Cameron exclaimed, rushing to his side. "You're awake."

He looked at her through a morphine-induced haze. "Too bad for you. Looks like you were ready to move on."

"What? What do you…Greg, do you remember what happened?" Cameron asked.

"Sure, Chase appeared and started groping you," he mumbled.

"No, he didn't…and that's not what I mean, I meant the accident. Do you remember what happened to you?"

House closed his eyes. "Is the Ford emblem permanently etched into my body somewhere?"

Chase snickered. "I wouldn't be surprised."

House opened his eyes and glared at Chase again. "What's the wombat doing here? Come to collect a dead man's effects?" he said, motioning towards Cameron. "From the looks of it I'd say she's eager to be collected."

"Greg, don't be an idiot," she said. "Chase came earlier today to visit. He's getting married this weekend."

"So why are you here?" House asked Chase. "Come to see Cameron for a final fuck before you tied the knot?"

"Greg!" Cameron shouted.

Chase sucked in his bottom lip. "Look, I know you're pretty out of it right now, so I won't even respond to that. I'm glad you're ok, House. For Cameron's sake." Chase leaned in closer to House. "Just don't make her life miserable just because you're feeling like shit…you've already put her through a lot today. And she's still here, by your side. Remember that."

House closed his eyes and turned his head away from Chase. Chase straightened up and squeezed Cameron's shoulder. "You let me know if you ever need anything. Keep in touch."

She smiled at him. "We'll be fine. And I will definitely keep in touch. Good luck this weekend."

Chase gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving the room. Cameron turned back towards House and began checking all his vitals. She was relieved to see his responsive pupils as she shined her light into his blue eyes, staring so blankly back at her.

"Greg, how are you feeling?" she asked, sitting down next to him.

"Why do you care? Why don't you go running after Chase…he's obviously still in love with you, and hey he has two good legs and that youthful zeal to keep you satisfied in the bedroom," House spat. "Maybe he can do you a service and meet you for jaunts in the janitor's closet while I'm laid up in here."

She couldn't believe what he was saying, but she knew he didn't mean it. She was expecting this; she only wished Chase hadn't been there to give him ample ammunition.

"Shut up, Greg," she said sternly. He looked at her. "I know you're miserable, and that you are anticipating more pain, and that when you're in pain you tend to push everyone who is close to you far away. But not me. That's not going to happen with me. You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not. You scared the shit out of me today…I thought…I thought I was going to lose you for a second…" Cameron lowered her eyes and tried to fight back the tears, but it was a losing battle. Her adrenaline and shock finally dissipated, letting her emotions come flooding in, and as she mentally replayed the events of the day, she couldn't help but finally release the tears. She began sobbing uncontrollably.

House lifted a weary hand to her cheek.

"Shh, it's ok baby," he whispered. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean…I just saw Chase with his arms around you and then looked down to see my leg in a cast, remembering what happened, it was all just…just too much…"

She took his hand in hers and began laying gentle kisses within his palm.

"No, no explanations needed. I know," she said, calming herself and relegating her breathing. She had to be strong, for him…for them.

He smiled at her and closed his eyes.

"Are you in any pain right now?" she asked, brushing her fingers along his hairline and flattening her palm on his forehead to quickly test for fever. An infection would be the worst case scenario at this point.

He shook his head. "Morphine drip?" he asked.

She nodded.

"I guess my bike got trashed," he said, opening his eyes.

"At least it was your bike and not you," she said. "You could've been killed."

"Does this mean I'm not allowed to get a new bike?"

She smirked. "Like I'm going to stop you? I'm not your mother."

"True, but you're going to be my wife and there's really no difference," he mumbled, his eyes drifting closed once more.

Her breath caught in her throat. "You…you heard me?" she whispered in amazement.

"Of course, you kept me alive…my angel," his voice trailed off as the morphine wooed him back into slumber.

Cameron's head was spinning. She knew he was barely lucid right now. Had he actually heard her talking to him during the surgery? Shaking her head, she cleared her mind. She couldn't let herself dwell on it right now. He might not even remember seeing Chase, or her for that matter, the next time he awoke, he was so drugged up at that moment.

A soft smile crept across her lips as she ran her fingers through his hair, then she laid her hand over his heart. Gently leaning over him, she brushed her lips against his, happy that he was alive, happy that he was still hers, and relishing the feeling of the hand that had absentmindedly and instinctively sought out her own as he intertwined their fingers, never letting go.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Cameron slouched in the uncomfortable chair by House's bedside, her eyes skimming over the words in her book, but she wasn't really reading. She was simply passing the time until he awoke again. Wilson and Cuddy had both been in, yet he remained in his drug-induced slumber. His vitals continued to improve, and Cameron never felt so grateful in her life.

Watching him lie there, the sound of the machines in the background, his skin pale and bruised, the harsh bed light emphasizing his sunken eyes, she couldn't help but be reminded of when he was shot and the both of them were in similar positions…he asleep in the bed, she in the chair at his side.

She was taken back even further, many years ago when she watched her then husband slipping away, the cancer pulling him closer to death.

Cameron decided she's spent too much time in that bedside chair watching the men she loved unconscious or writing in pain, and having no way of helping them. History had a sick way of repeating itself.

A small moan from the bed startled her back to her senses, and she looked to see House slowly moving his head. He opened his eyes and grimaced. Cameron stood and leaned over him.

"Hey," she said softly. "How are you feeling? Is there much pain?"

"To which pain are you referring," he groaned, "the old pain or the whole new pain? Now both of my legs feel like they're on fire."

Cameron sighed and looked at the morphine drip, turning it to slightly up the dosage.

"I'll help you out for now, but we're taking the morphine away as soon as you can sit up and start functioning. I want you out of this bed as soon as possible," she said, leaning back over him.

He stared through the haze into her green eyes and tried to smile, but he found it difficult to remain lucid with the amount of painkillers coursing through his body at present. His eyes felt heavy, but he fought to keep them open and focus on her. She was talking to him, but her voice sounded so distant. For the first time he cursed painkillers because at that moment they kept him from really seeing her…his angel.

He remembered the car hitting him, he remembered the darkness that soon followed, he remembered feeling the pain but somehow felt so far away from it all. It felt like he was falling, lost in some abyss with nothing to hear but echoes of voices that may or may not have been familiar, hands touching his body, but feeling almost numb. For the first time he actually felt scared, cold…until he heard her voice. It caught him, stopped him from falling. In the chaos of darkness around him her voice was a light that embraced him and carried him back. Her words were clear as day, comforting, home…and he listened as she spoke, telling him that yes, she would be his wife.

His eyes suddenly shot open and he looked at her smiling above him.

"You said yes," he blurted out.

Her eyes grew wide and she gasped, putting her hand over her mouth. She sat down on the bed next to him.

"I…I can't believe…you were unconscious," she stammered.

"I guess we proved the theory that unconscious people can hear you when you speak to them," he mumbled. "Who cares…you said yes."

She put her hand down and looked at him. His lips were turned up into a goofy smile, his eyes danced with a light she never saw before. He looked happy, despite his pain, despite his foggy state. He remembered…he had heard her.

"Yes," she whispered, smiling at him. "I did."

"Did you mean it, or did you just say that to trick me into coming back?"

She shook her head. "No trick. I meant it."

"Because you thought I was dying? I know how much you're blinded by men at death's door."

"Don't," she spat. "Don't say something you might regret. I will get mad at you, broken leg or no."

He grinned at her. "So you did mean it."

"I told you, I made my decision before I even knew you were in an accident."

He giggled, a symptom of the drugs mixed with his giddiness. She couldn't help but laugh.

"I knew you planned on asking me as many ways possible, but this proposal certainly takes the cake," she said, taking his hand in hers.

House frowned suddenly. "You're right. There's something missing."

He felt his eyelids growing heavy once more, but continued to fight.

"Greg, go back to sleep. Don't fight it," she said, noticing.

"No, we're talking here…" he mumbled.

"We can talk about it later, when you're a little more with it," she said, moving her hand to his face and stroking his hair away from his damp forehead.

"Am I ever with it…" he tried to joke, but his voice trailed off and he slipped back into sleep.

She chuckled to herself. She kept his hand tightly clamped within her own. She never wanted to let go, for as long as they both shall live…and beyond.

"How's he doing?" Wilson asked, peeking his head into the room.

Cameron opened her half-lidded eyes and hitched in her breath, as if startled out of slumber.

Wilson entered the room. "Allison you should get some sleep."

"No, I don't want to leave him alone," she said. She still held on to House's hand, unaware that she had almost fallen asleep in the chair, her head on the bed.

"I'll stay for a while," Wilson said, rubbing her back. "You need to take care of yourself, too. Go up to the doctor's lounge and get a few hours of sleep. It's nearly midnight."

She sighed in defeat. He was right. If she didn't get some proper sleep her body would let her know it was a mistake.

"Ok, just a few hours," she said quietly. She stood on shaky legs and leaned forward, brushing her lips softly across House's. "I'll be back in a little bit," she whispered to him.

Straightening, she reluctantly released his hand then turned to smile at Wilson. He smiled back at her and laid a hand on her shoulder before she left the room. Wilson sat in the now unoccupied chair and picked up House's chart, skimming it over.

"Did Cuddy kick you out for disappointing her in the bedroom yet again?" came a grumbling voice from the bed.

Wilson looked at his best friend and grinned. "Here I thought getting slammed into by a pickup truck would knock the synapses that control manners and tactfulness back into working order."

"Nope, I'm still the same pleasant, polite cherub I've always been. Where's Allison?"

"I sent her to get some sleep; she's had a hell of a day," Wilson said, returning the chart to the side of the bed.

"Where's my coat?" House asked. Wilson looked confused.

"Why? You going somewhere?"

"My coat, where is it," House asked again, sounding concerned.

"I'm not sure, although I don't think it's wearable anymore," Wilson said, snickering.

House's eyes widened and he looked almost frantic. Wilson believed he knew why.

"Are you looking for this?" he asked, rummaging in his pocket and pulling out the small velvet box.

"How did you get that?" House asked, looking relieved.

Wilson didn't want to tell him that Cameron had actually found it, that she had clutched his leather coat so tightly on their way to the operating room he never thought she'd let it go.

"I was there in the ER when you came in. One of the nurses handed it to me. She said it fell out of your pocket when they were removing your clothes," Wilson lied.

He placed the box in House's hand and House clutched it tightly, like it was all that mattered in the world.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Cameron's delicate lips left a trail of warm kisses down his neck, his chest, his abdomen…still lower…House closed his eyes and sucked in his breath as he felt the heat of her mouth envelop his length, gently grazing her teeth along his shaft. Moaning loudly, he relaxed into the pleasurable feeling of her taking all of him into her mouth, deep in her throat. Her hands moved from their place on his hips, snaking up his chest then dragging her nails along his skin. Biting his lip, his hands found their way to her head, tangling in her long tendrils as he encouraged her further. She moaned, the vibrations emanating from her throat bringing another shot of ecstasy to his groin. His entire body reacted and he sat up, pulling her off of him and rolling her on to her back, meeting those inviting lips with a passionate intrusion of his tongue.

He kissed her, tasted her, devoured her until he felt her entire body quiver beneath him. He responded by pushing into her melodious warmth. Closing his eyes, he pressed his forehead to hers as she moaned beneath him, her hips lifting to meet his every thrust. He cherished every sensation rushing through him, for he knew deep down that this union was the only heaven he would ever know. She gripped his upper arms as he felt her walls tighten around him.

Maneuvering them so he was sitting up, she wrapped her legs around his waist and rode out her orgasm. He tightened his arms around her, burying his face in her neck as they moaned together a chorus of utter rapture…the greatest high ever gifted to man. She pulled back, still moving above him, her forehead beaded with sweat. They stared into each other's eyes, locked in that gaze he so easily could get lost in. She read to him tales of her love within that single gaze, and he felt his heart swell. He was such a lucky bastard. There was no way he deserved anything this good.

Their eyes remained locked as he felt his orgasm rise, his release building.

"I love you," she whispered breathlessly. "I'll always love you."

_No way, no way you deserve this_, his conscience yelled from the distance.

"You're mine," he said to her. "Mine." His voice broke as he felt the pressure ready to burst.

"Forever," she said. With that, he squeezed his eyes shut and whimpered as he laid his head against her chest and let go, erupting with such a force he swore he'd never felt an orgasm so monumental in all his life. And with her, he knew it would only get better.

Struggling to find his breath, he desperately searched for her eyes once more, happily finding them still fixed upon him, satisfied and mesmerized.

_That's right, you are one lucky bastard. You should be dead right now,_ he thought to himself.

"I should be dead right now," he said out loud.

She smiled and gently stroked his cheek. Something in her look changed, and he felt a sudden coldness embrace him. His heart was gripped in fear.

"Am I?" he asked, the realization hitting him. "Am I dead?"

Cameron opened her mouth and began to speak, but he heard no words. She continued to smile at him and caress his face, but she suddenly seemed blurry, out of focus. It was strange, like he could still feel her, still feel their bodies joined together, her touch on his face, but she was vanishing from his sight, and it scared him to death.

House's eyes shot open and he gasped.

He took a quick moment to come to his senses. Glancing around his field of vision, he noted the dim light, the monitors, the IV bags, the television on mute, the sun peeking through the drawn blinds on the windows, the tray of uneaten food now probably cold propped atop the bedside table. His ears perked up to listen to the sounds now familiar to him…the beeps of the monitors, the hum of the lights and machines, the heater vent, the murmurs from the nurses out in the hallway.

He was back in his hospital room, still recovering from being hit by a truck on his motorcycle, still laid up with a broken leg, still recovering from invasive surgery to relieve internal bleeding, and now to add insult to injury, nursing a massive erection – a result of what he was now realizing was a very vivid dream.

Lifting his head slowly, he looked around and thanked the stars he was alone. He shifted uncomfortably in the bed, not wanting his present state to go noticed by those intrusive nurses who came in every five minutes to check his meds. After four days in the hospital, they had begun to wean him off the morphine, much to his dislike. He was back to his tried and true Vicodin, although what he could really go for at that moment was a cold shower.

Hmmm, perhaps a cool sponge bath would work equally as well? Where was Cameron, by the way?

Turning his head, he noticed his backpack perched atop the table. A neon green post it read:

_Some things for you to do while I'm at work…page me if you need me. Be nice to the nurses. Love, Allie_

He smiled. No doubt she knew he was off the morphine, or nearly at this point, and would start to go stir crazy being more "with it," not to mention needing something to keep his mind off the pain now doubled by the second leg injury. His backpack was probably packed with his iPod, comic books, video games…she knew him too well. He was grateful to see his trusty bag.

Glancing towards the door, he made sure he was still alone and no one was approaching. Reaching around, he felt under his pillow for the small velvet box. Breathing a gentle sigh of relief that it was still there, he opened the small compartment in his backpack and placed the box inside. He would have preferred a locked leather briefcase handcuffed to his wrist, only to be opened with a secret 4-digit code known only to him, but his trusty backpack would have to suffice for now.

His eyes glanced over her note once more, and he grinned devilishly. The pain in his legs was masked by the painkillers at the moment, but the pain in his groin was unavoidable.

_Well, she did say if I needed her to page her…_

He picked up the phone.

Cameron was frustrated. Things were beyond chaotic at this point. Not only was she bogged down with her own workload, but she had volunteered to help House's team with their own work in his absence, and at present they were involved in a pretty difficult case.

Matthews and Owens were giving the patient, a 15-year-old girl, an MRI, and Cameron sent Reynolds to talk to the patient's parents. After sending her own two interns off with their assignments, Cameron decided to head to the lab to run some blood tests before sneaking off to visit House.

She was worried about him, about how he would deal with coming off the morphine and relying on the Vicodin again. Now he had two bum legs, at least temporarily, and it wouldn't be easy for him. At least he wouldn't make it easy for himself, nor anyone else around him.

Sighing, she rubbed her eyes and stood, intent on making it through the day first before even thinking about what things would be like tomorrow or in the near future. Heading for the door, her pager sounded at her hip. Lifting it to her eyes, her breath caught in her throat.

House's room. A 9-1-1 call.

She raced for the elevator.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

She bolted off the elevator and straight towards House's door, taking quick note of the nurses who sat calmly behind their station. Stopping abruptly, she curiously watched the one nurse lean back in her chair and stretch her arms, while the other yawned as she quietly wrote notes in a chart. Clearly no emergency here.

Cameron checked her pager again, just to make sure she didn't misread the 9-1-1 code. Pushing open his door, she intently walked inside and found him laid on his side, his puppy dog eyes expectantly watching the door for her arrival.

She threw up her hands. "What's the matter?"

"I need a doctor."

She looked him over. "Are you in a lot of pain?" she asked hesitantly, knowing he was off the morphine.

He gave her a look as if to say, duh, aren't I always?

"Ok," she drew out, "why did you send me an emergency page? You have your own doctor."

"Yes, but he can't help me, I need a specialist." He reached his hand out to her.

"For what?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him, knowing he was up to something. She moved towards him and took his outstretched hand.

"For this," he said, leading her hand to his groin.

She widened her eyes and gasped, pulling her hand from his and backing up from the bed.

"You sent me a 9-1-1 page because you're horny?" she asked incredulously.

"Well when you put it that way…yeah," replied House, sticking out his lower lip. "What do you say, Dr. Cameron, are you up to the challenge? This is the kind of thing an up and coming, recently published immunologist can handle in her sleep, although I prefer my immunologists more frisky, less sleepy."

She shook her head and closed her eyes, willing her rage and fury to settle down. The past few days had been stressful, and he was pushing her past the boiling point.

"You are unbelievable," she spat.

"So I've been told…" he quipped.

"No," she cut him off. "No jokes. I ran down here because I thought something was seriously wrong. But to come down to find you…wanting me to get you off? I'm up there working my butt off to help your team diagnose YOUR patient, not to mention my own work piling up with two eager interns waiting for me to tell them what to do. And on top of everything the constant, underlying worry of how you'll manage your pain, if you'll heal ok, if there will be any medical repercussions…you're just…just…ugh, I can't even look at you right now."

Cameron spun on her heel and stormed out of his room, leaving a stunned House alone, and although he hated to admit it, slightly ashamed. He sighed heavily and dropped his head to the pillow. Reaching up, he buzzed the call button.

"Nurses station, can I help you?" the woman's voice blared over the intercom.

"What, did you send my Vicodin via Pony Express? Make with the pain meds already," he shouted.

Cameron barged into the Diagnostics conference room to find House's three ducklings seated at the table, heads in their hands.

"What's the latest," she asked, the anger clearly evident in her voice.

Matthews regarded her tentatively before speaking. "MRI was clean."

"Anything from the parents?"

"Apart from catching her and her girlfriends in the parents' liquor cabinet during a sleepover a few months ago, nothing," replied Reynolds, exasperated.

"Any new symptoms?" Cameron asked, glancing at the whiteboard. The three watched her stare at House's proposal still scribbled in black marker along the board's smooth finish. No one had been brave enough to erase it since his accident four days earlier. Cameron quickly approached the board and wiped it clean in one motion.

"Symptoms…go," she demanded, holding the pen over the board.

The three looked at each other nervously, not knowing why their interim boss was so steamed, but understanding it probably had something to do with House.

"Fatigue," said Owens, breaking the silence. Cameron wrote it down.

"Hypotension," Reynolds added. Cameron added it to the board.

"Abdominal cramping," Matthews chimed in.

Cameron stepped back and examined the board, her mind working. She capped the pen and put it down.

"Anything else?"

The three shook their heads.

"Ideas?"

They stared blankly at the board, and Cameron rolled her eyes. She seemed to recall her, Chase and Foreman being much more proactive than these three.

"Ultrasound the heart?" Owens blurted out.

"For abdominal cramping?" Matthews asked, glaring at him.

"I don't know, she asked for ideas," said Owens. "Fatigue and low blood pressure can be a symptom of cardiac abnormalities."

"Scope the GI tract," Cameron finally said, ignoring them. "Page me with the results." It was obvious to her this one wasn't going to be easy, and she knew there was only one man capable of diagnosing this one quickly enough before their patient made a turn for the worse.

Sighing heavily, she turned and sulked out of the office, the patient's file in hand. She entered the elevator and pushed the button for House's floor. Her mind worked with how she'd play this one out with him, and her lips turned into a sly smile as she figured out her plan.

Entering his room, she found him laying on his back, eyes closed, his iPod lulling him to sleep. Ripping the buds from his ears, his eyes jolted open and looked accusingly at her.

"It was just getting to the good part," he said, grabbing the buds out of her hand.

She glared at him.

He glared right back.

"If you expect me apologize, you've come to the wrong sucker," he said, popping the buds back into his ears and lowering his head to the pillow.

She pulled them out of his ears again, along with his iPod and set them on the bedside table.

"I would never expect you to apologize…I would expect chickens to fly out of Cuddy's ass before I expected you to apologize for something," she said. "But…I am here to help you," she said, motioning towards the lower half of his body.

He raised his eyebrows and grinned, reaching for her. She took a step back.

"But you need to help me, first," she added.

He seemed confused. "Well, I'll do what I can, but with my leg in a cast and the pain medications causing extreme drowsiness, I may be a bit clumsy. But we've done it in crazier situations, I guess."

"If you can solve this case within the next 10 minutes, I will do what you ask," she said, her coy smile melting his own.

"Work? You want me to work? Forget it," he said, dropping his head once more. "I'm a very sick man."

"You've always been a very sick man," Cameron said, rolling her eyes. "Yet, even when you were shot and hallucinating your mind was still engrossed in work."

"I was hallucinating, I wasn't working."

"Ah, but in your hallucination you worked to solve the case."

"I also sliced open the patient like a Christmas ham, you sure you want my expertise in my current condition?"

She dropped the patient file on the table and stood closer to his bed, sliding her white lab coat off her arms. Throwing it on the chair behind her, she met his eyes. He was watching her, his blue eyes glittering, a hint of that fire she often saw when he desired her burning low, but still there.

"Your seduction tactics won't work with me. You only want to do this because you need my help, because my so-called team of doctors are up there twiddling their thumbs, clueless. You're frustrated and overworked because I'm laid up in here, and once again the great Dr. Cameron needs to bear the weight of the world on her shoulders alone."

She knew what he was doing, and she wasn't going to let him win.

"So, you only see this as a winning deal for me? You get nothing out of this bargain?"

"Nothing I can't handle myself," he said, waving his open hand at her and wiggling his fingers.

She sucked in her bottom lip and nodded, agreeing with him.

"You're right, you certainly can take care of your little problem all by yourself, but," she said, leaning closer to him until her lips grazed his ear, "would it feel as good as this?" In one quick movement she shoved her hand under his blanket and gripped his semi-hard erection in her hand.

He elicited a loud moan and clamped his eyes shut tight, the very feel of her hand on him nearly undoing him. He grew fully erect within her grasp, and his mouth went dry.

She was playing him, and he knew it. Usually he would be willing to take this game of cat and mouse as far as it would go, to the point she would fold under his power and he'd get his way. But at that very moment, she was in control, and he wouldn't have had it any other way. He was craving her touch, and if it meant saving a young girl's life in the process, he'd do whatever it took to feel her touch him.

"Ten minutes?" he asked, confirming her deal.

She grinned and nodded, leaning in to nibble his earlobe. His cock twitched in her hand.

"Give me the file," he said hoarsely.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Smiling victoriously, Cameron handed House the patient file and propped up his pillows behind his head so he could sit up a bit. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled his reading glasses out and handed them to him.

He regarded her for a bit before accepting them, showing no amusement at the fact that she knew she'd get her way.

Glancing over the file briefly, he snapped it shut.

"Scope the GI tract, you'll probably find a tumor. Give it to Wilson," he said before tossing the file back on the table and wrapping his arm around her waist.

Simultaneously, her pager went off and she glanced at it, frowning.

"Wrong diagnosis, Dr. House. The GI tract is clean," she said, raising her eyebrows at him and handing him back the file. "You have 8 minutes remaining."

Sighing in defeat, he opened the file and read it more closely.

"Fatigue, low blood pressure…did my duckies check for anemia?"

"Of course."

"Hmmmm…I'm 0 for 2."

"Oh, come on House, you diagnose people every day with an obscene amount of pain meds coursing through your veins…it's part of what makes your brilliant, isn't it?" she challenged.

He glared at her.

"Talk to the folks? Ask them if she's been depressed, irritable? Any fainting spells?"

Cameron wrinkled her brow. "She fainted at school about two months ago, but the team figured it unrelated."

"And did you yell at them for that?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Unlike you I don't believe speaking to my subordinates harshly actually gets us anywhere."

He sighed and shook his head. "Check her glucose levels again…she's hypoglycemic."

Cameron leaned over and looked at the file over his shoulder.

"How could I have missed that?" she berated herself aloud.

"Don't beat yourself up about it, you've been under a lot of stress," he said quietly, telling her in his own way that he appreciated her help.

She stood up straight and watched him close the file.

"Final question…any missed menstrual periods? And I mean the patient, not you," he said, removing his glasses.

"She's 15, we didn't see it as abnormal since she only started menstruating a year ago…" Cameron's voice trailed off, the realization hitting her in her own "House-like" moment as the diagnosis appeared before her eyes.

House grinned, having already figured out the diagnosis upon second glance of the file, but wanting Cameron to figure it out for herself before he gave it up.

"Addison's Disease," she stated simply, dropping her hands to her sides as if she should have seen it all along.

"Check for any hyperpigmentation of the skin, x-ray the adrenal and pituitary glands and run an ACTH stimulation test, then once everything is confirmed you better get your cute little ass back here to pay up on your end of the bargain. And, Dr. Cameron, I believe I still have three minutes to spare," House said, pointing towards the clock on the wall.

Cameron couldn't help but laugh. While she mentally kicked herself for missing obvious symptoms, she was glad she sought out his help.

"Why, of course Dr. House, I wouldn't think of holding back your reward," she said seductively, leaning in and joining her lips fiercely with his. She slid her tongue into his mouth and feverishly battled with his own before taking his bottom lip in between her teeth and nibbling gently.

Pulling back, she left him breathless, his eyes glassy and hazy with a mixture of desire and narcotics. His hand had been gripping her arm, desperate for her touch, to feel close to her again, but he reluctantly dropped his hand to the bed, knowing she had to go tend to the patient before they could continue.

She ran her tongue along her bottom lip, savoring the taste of him for a moment before taking the file in hand and walking out of the room. House dropped his head on the pillows and let out an exasperated sigh. Staring at the clock, he couldn't help but grin, feeling like a kid on Christmas awaiting Santa's arrival.

It was late, nearly 9 p.m. House had drifted off to sleep hours earlier, unable to keep his eyes open any longer. But the sound of the door opening and closing, the lock turning, and the delicate footsteps pattering across the linoleum floor caused his eyes to shoot open.

Turning his head, he watched her make her way slowly to his bed. Her lab coat and tailored skirt had disappeared and she was now wearing her jogging pants and a tight cotton shirt, accentuating her curves in all the right places. Her hair was damp and fell in long curls around her shoulders.

She noticed him looking at her attire.

"Eventful day," she said. "After being puked on by your patient, and urinated on during my short stint in the clinic, I felt a shower was in order."

"Thank you for sparing me," he said, reaching out his hand to her. "So?"

She took his hand and sat on the side of his bed. "It was Addison's all right. We started her on hormone replacement therapy."

He paused a moment. "You know, you could have solved that one yourself. I can't say the same for my brilliant underlings, however, who constantly need their hands held."

"Sometimes the simplest answers are hard to find when you're overworked, overstressed, and on emotional overload," she said, looking down at their clasped hands, choking back tears.

"Hey," he said softly, lifting his hand to her cheek and tucking a loose curl behind her ear. She closed her eyes, and leaned into his palm, kissing it gently. Opening her eyes, she met his blue-fired gaze and felt her soul melt into his own.

"I love you, you know that?" she said quietly.

He smiled lightly. "Yeah, I know…I'll never figure out why, though."

"You can't solve every mystery…some you just have to take on faith," she said.

"Faith? Not in my vocabulary."

She lowered his hand to her leg and ran her fingertips slowly up his forearm, stimulating his senses.

"No? Looks like the brilliant doctor still needs to learn a few things," she said, pulling her lips into a smug smile.

"And will you be my teacher?"

"No…we'll learn together. However," she said, standing and taking a hold of the curtain pushed against the wall, "right now I'm here as your specialist, remember?"

Pulling the curtain she walked around the bed, enveloping them in a cocoon of privacy, her sultry eyes soaking in his own eager expression.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Greg?" Cameron asked, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"What?" he asked, trying to focus on her form seated before him.

"Are you feeling much pain?"

He groggily lifted his hand to his head and tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's almost 9:00," she replied, gently rubbing his arm.

He felt confused and bit disoriented. He finally focused on the room and looked around before looking back at Cameron. "Wait…what? Weren't you just…why isn't your hair wet?"

She wrinkled her brow. "Wet? Why would my hair be wet?"

House looked her over intently and realized she was wearing different clothes. "You changed?"

Showing concern, she placed her hand on his forehead. "Are you feeling ok?"

"Oh…god…was I hallucinating again?" he asked in shock.

"You were hallucinating? Tell me what you think was going on," she said, moving closer to him on the bed.

"You were closing the curtain and we…were about to…"

Cameron raised her eyebrows. "Collect on your reward?"

"Wait…so that was real? There was a patient, and she had…"

"Addison's? Yes, that was real," Cameron confirmed, smiling. "However, I just got here about two minutes ago so whatever else you recall happening after we made the diagnosis was just a dream, I think."

He grabbed the pillow and put it over his face, moaning into the cotton. He hated feeling like this, like he had no control over his thoughts, unable to tell the difference between reality and dreams, and worst of all, having her there to see him losing it.

Cameron lifted the pillow off of his face and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Don't wallow, and don't worry, it's common to have vivid dreams on pain meds. You know that," she assured him.

"Yes, but this dream in particular was so real that I thought…wait, you said 'collect on your reward.' That means there is still a reward to collect on…I didn't imagine that, right?"

She giggled and stood up.

"I told you I'd help you take care of your, uh, problem. But, I may have stretched the truth a bit…" she confessed, biting her finger.

House's eyes widened. "You lied to me to get me to help you solve the case?"

She shrugged. "Everybody lies," she said in a sing-song voice, his own words constantly finding their way back to haunt him.

"That's so like…like me," he said incredulously. "You're turning into me."

"Don't despair, we'll take care of you in no time, Dr. House. Honestly, as a doctor I can't ethically perform sexual favors upon a man with two crippled legs recovering from major abdominal surgery. And the fact that you have a catheter inserted into your urethra at the moment could prove problematic," Cameron said playfully.

"I am a doctor, too, you know. I can easily rid myself of that problem. I've done it before," he said.

She poured water into a cup and handed it to him along with two Vicodin. "Take your meds, get some rest, and recuperate. You'll be discharged in a few days and when we get home, we'll see what happens," she said, winking.

"Tease," he said. "I can't believe you tricked me."

"Yes, you are a bad influence. Other people are telling me I'm becoming more like you every day," she said, sitting back down on the bed.

"Well, in this situation, if our roles were switched I'd take full advantage of having you lying helpless in a hospital bed wanting nothing more than to have my hands all over you. So, by all means, follow my example and…"

She leaned in close and quickly captured his lips in a searing kiss. He barely had a moment to inhale before her passionate assault. Breaking free, they both gasped for air before she placed her lips on his ear.

"Believe me, I want nothing more than to touch you, to taste you, to have you inside me. Don't worry baby," she whispered heatedly, "when we get you home, I'll take care of you."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Two weeks had passed and House was finally discharged, albeit confined to a wheelchair for another few weeks until his leg healed. He also began a tedious rehabilitation stretch through the hospital's outpatient services. The first session did not go so well, and Cameron knew as she watched him belittle the young therapist to tears that House would most likely go through all the therapists the rehab center had to offer before being transferred to another facility. So, she promised to cater to his every whim once they were home if he only behaved himself. He had obliged, smiling mischievously and spending his quiet time thinking of what he'd have her do to him once they were home.

And now that time had finally arrived. He sat in the wheelchair in his hospital room eagerly awaiting Cameron to come through the door to take him from that dreadful place. Glancing around the room he vowed to never lay eyes on those four walls again. It had been a prison.

"Ready to go?" Wilson asked, stepping through the door. House wrinkled his brow.

"What are you doing here?"

"Cameron asked me to take you home. She's been called away on a patient emergency," Wilson responded, handing House his backpack.

House's heart sank.

"Don't look so down, she said she'll meet you home as soon as she can," Wilson continued.

House's frown deepened as he clutched his backpack, his disappointment evident. "Just shut up and get me the hell out of here."

Wilson wheeled House down the hall towards the elevators. The nurses and doctors couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief that he was finally gone.

"Did you get them?" House asked Wilson once inside the elevator.

"They're in my trunk," Wilson replied quietly, watching the numbers descend above. The elevator came to a halt and the doors slid open to reveal Cuddy waiting expectantly.

House rolled his eyes. "Oh god, what do you want?"

"I'm happy you're leaving too, House," she replied, falling into step next to Wilson as he wheeled House towards the doors. "Just make sure you stay in this wheelchair, you hear me?"

"Yes, mom," House whined.

"And take it easy at home. Let Cameron take care of you…" Cuddy continued.

"Oh trust me, she'll take good care of me," House replied, wagging his eyebrows.

"House," Cuddy snapped. "You had surgery to repair internal bleeding only two weeks ago."

"And my stitches are out," House cut her off.

"And you have a broken leg that is still setting," she replied.

"I've been having sex with a bum leg for years now, never impeded my abilities before and it shouldn't now," he bit.

Wilson rolled his eyes. "Jesus, House, you actually think Cameron will agree to have sex with you in your current condition?"

"She has been without me for two weeks – I'm sure she's desperate, therefore throwing all reason out the window," House replied.

"I think she's smarter than that," added Cuddy. "I'm sorry, I just can't clear you for those kind of…physical activities…for at least another few weeks."

House just grinned. Wilson and Cuddy looked at each other and shook their heads, knowing full well they were talking to a brick wall. Like House ever did what he was told.

"Fine, just don't page me if you hurt yourself. And I guess if you're feeling up to sex, you must be up to working?" Cuddy asked. "You've been doing that with a bum leg for years, too."

House bit his lip. She had him there. Wilson shot her a glance. She met his eyes.

"Ok, you have two weeks off to recover fully, then you're back to work. I'm still going to inform your team that they can call you for consults from home, though, so don't get too comfortable," said Cuddy.

"Caller ID is a wonderful thing," House said, grinning as he and Wilson went through the double doors, leaving Cuddy to glare at him from inside.

"You know she could have kept you here longer," Wilson said, wheeling House towards the parking lot.

"Not if she cared about the sanity of her staff on my floor," House replied, digging into his pocket and retrieving his Vicodin, popping two pills into his mouth.

They reached Wilson's car and he wheeled House to the passenger side. Opening the door, he helped House into the seat. Once inside, House looked at the wheelchair then up at Wilson. Wilson rolled his eyes and closed the door. He walked around the car to the driver's side, leaving the wheelchair parked next to his car. House smiled.

They pulled up in front of House's apartment and House sighed, relieved to finally be home. The only thing better would have been if Cameron were the one escorting him home, but Wilson served his purpose.

Wilson walked to the back of his car and opened the trunk, retrieving a pair of crutches. He then moved to House's door and helped him out of the car, handing him the crutches.

"She'll have my ass for getting rid of your wheelchair, you know," Wilson said.

"Yes, but your ass is the object of many of her sexual fantasies hence the perfect distraction for taking her mind off the rules of my recovery. She'll get over it," House replied.

Wilson laughed and glanced up at House's door. House swung his backpack over his shoulder and gripped the crutches, slowly making his way towards the steps. Wilson stood behind him, his arms out as if to catch House should he slip, while House made his way up the steps one at a time.

By the time he reached the door he was out of breath.

"Good thing I live on the first floor," House said, catching his breath.

"You gonna be ok?" Wilson asked.

"Yeah, go on. I can take it from here."

Wilson patted House on the shoulder and grinned at him.

"What?" House asked, noticing that boyish twinkle Wilson had in his eye, like he was up to something.

"Nothing," Wilson replied in a sing-song voice. "Welcome home." And with that, he turned and headed back to his car, leaving a confused House in his wake.

House shook his head and retrieved his keys from his pocket. He placed the key in the door and turned, unlocking the door. Turning the knob, he pushed the door open and immediately threw his backpack on the floor inside the door before grabbing the crutches and hobbling inside. Reaching behind him, he pushed the door closed before raising his head, happy to be home.

But what he saw was something he definitely had not been expecting.

The living room was lit in soft lighting from the lamps, and the rest flickered from candlelight. His gut tightened, realizing Cameron was actually home.

"Patient emergency, huh?" he shouted. He knew she was there, he just didn't know where…yet.

"You are my patient," he heard her reply from the back of the apartment. The sound of her voice made his groin tighten. God, it had been so long. His body physically ached for her, and it wasn't just the pain in both his legs. "I made you a reuben," she shouted. "It's in the kitchen."

House sighed. He knew Wilson was right…Cameron being Cameron would not take advantage of him in his current state, no matter how much he wanted her to. She'd pity him and want to take care of him and not push him, fearing he'd hurt himself even more. He knew it was a bunch of crap, but that's who Cameron was. He'd have to wait a few more weeks before being able to bury himself into her moist warmth, feeling her body quake beneath his own…

_Damn it_, he shouted in his head, feeling his now permanent semi-erection spring to life once more. _Reuben, right…go eat the reuben_, he scolded himself, ridding all thoughts of sex with Cameron.

Making his way into the kitchen, he propped himself up on a stool as he leaned the crutches against the counter. Unbuttoning his shirt, he pulled it off. The exertion from walking with the crutches had caused him to start to sweat, that coupled with his erotic thoughts of his currently disembodied voice of a girlfriend.

"Are you going to come out and greet me properly or am I to assume you're tied to the bed back there waiting for me to come do dirty things to you?" he shouted.

"Just eat, I'll be there in a second," she answered. "Did you take your pain meds?"

"Yes, Dr. Cameron," he replied, eyeing the reuben hungrily. Living on hospital food for the past two weeks was a quick route to an early death, he surmised. Grabbing the sandwich in his hands, he took a large bite and closed his eyes, relishing the taste in his mouth.

"Nice crutches." Cameron's voice startled him and his eyes shot open to find her leaning against the kitchen doorway…completely naked.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

He stared at her, mouth open and a half-chewed piece of reuben threatening to drip down his chin.

"Now I know you didn't blackmail your best friend into ditching your mandatory wheelchair for a pair of crutches," Cameron berated seductively, raising her hand to her hair and brushing away a few stray strands from her face.

He remained motionless, unable to even blink.

She grinned mischievously. "You may want to swallow that before it falls out of your mouth."

House snapped back to reality enough to chew the rest of his food and swallow it, dropping the remainder of the sandwich to its plate.

"Why, what will you do to me if I did blackmail him?" House finally asked, eager to play her game.

Cameron _tsk_ed and shook her head. "You shouldn't go against doctor's orders." Her hand trailed down her cheek, her neck, down to the valley between her breasts before splaying her hand over her abdomen and pausing just below her belly button.

House's eyes were transfixed upon her roaming hand. Unbeknownst to him he gripped the edge of the counter tightly, his mouth going completely dry. His palms began to sweat, desperate to touch her naked flesh, but she was too far away and he wasn't exactly in the best shape to jump from his seat and rush to take her in his arms.

"You're not my doctor," he replied, his voice purposely deep. He didn't forget what that voice did to her.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, breathing deeply. Opening her eyes, she stared back at him. "That's a good thing, because right now I'm throwing all ethical treatment of patients out the window."

She straightened and stalked towards him, her hands gliding over her glistening skin as she approached him. He felt his heart rate speed up as she drew closer, his breathing grow shallow. His hands instinctively reached for her.

"Don't worry, I've never been a fan of ethics," he whispered.

She stopped in front of him, holding his hands but refusing to let him touch her.

"I know we shouldn't be doing this," she began, a permanent Cheshire cat grin plastered on her face the whole time. "I know you need to rest and heal. I know in my right mind as a doctor that you should be lying down with your leg propped up and I should prevent you from doing any strenuous physical activities for at least another few weeks."

Taking his right hand, she placed it over her breast and sighed heavily, closing her eyes.

"But I need you too badly to care," she finished in a breathless whisper as his hand began to massage her breast.

In a sudden movement, his other hand was behind her head pulling her to him in a passionate kiss. His lips hungrily moved over hers, his tongue immediately demanding entrance, desperate to taste her sweetness that warmed his very soul. Cameron whimpered into the kiss, relieved to finally have him home and to be in his arms, feeling his hands upon her.

His hand moved from her hair down her back and around to squeeze her bare bottom, pulling her in between his legs as he sat on the stool. She was mindful of his cast, even as she began to roll her hips and grind against his screaming erection.

Pulling her face from his and gasping for breath, she grinned at him again as she backed away. His face looked pained as his hands still reached for her. Instead, she took his crutches from the counter and handed them to him.

"You any good at using these things?" she asked.

"When I have to be," he replied.

"Good, because they better get you into the bedroom quickly or else I'll have to start without you," she said, turning and heading out the doorway.

"Is that a bad thing?" he asked, rising and placing the crutches under his arms.

"Only if you want me to finish without you, too," he heard her say from the hallway.

He hobbled down the hallway as fast as the crutches would take him. Stopping suddenly, a thought popped into his head. He returned to the living room to retrieve his backpack, throwing it over his shoulder and making his way back down the hall.

Upon entering his bedroom, he dropped his bag inside the door. Glancing at the bed, he found Cameron lying comfortably atop the comforter, lazily tracing circles on her stomach with her delicate fingers. _So beautiful_, he thought to himself. _And all mine_.

"Have I ever told you what a lucky bastard I am?" he said, moving closer to the bed. She grinned and sat up, sliding off the bed to meet him. She took the crutches from him and laid them against the corner chair.

She moved her hands over his arms and across his chest before moving down to the hem of his t-shirt and raising it over his head, tossing it on the floor. Grabbing the waist band of his gym shorts, she yanked them down, sinking to her knees as she delicately passed them over his cast and off. Rising, she met his eyes as her hand gripped his hardened length. He sucked in his breath and squeezed his eyes shut at the sensation.

"Lay down," she said softly, helping him on to the bed. She instructed him to move to the center of the bed, which he did gingerly. Cameron took two pillows from the bed and had him gently lift his injured leg as she placed the pillows beneath it to offer him support.

"This is getting way too clinical," he said.

"Just want you to be comfortable," she responded, crawling on to the bed next to him. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle," she winked.

"That's fine for now…but in a few weeks I don't want to hear the word 'gentle' from your lips again."

She captured his mouth in a deep kiss before moving her lips across his cheek and to his ear.

"Are you in any pain?" she asked.

He rolled his eyes, unable to discern the many sensations he was feeling at the moment.

"If I am I can't feel anything past the raging hard on I've been nursing for two weeks, so I think I'm good," he managed to respond.

Cameron grinned. "Well let's see if I can't take care of that for you." She sat up and opened her legs, straddling his waist. She placed her hands on his chest and eyed him up like he was the juiciest piece of meat in the steakhouse.

Seeing her on top of him basked in the glow from the scattered candles she had lit in the bedroom, he had to take a moment to marvel at her beauty. She was literally breathtaking, so much so that he had found it difficult to breathe. He didn't care if he was feeling the most excruciating pain of his life; at that moment, he would sacrifice his life just to have her straddling his hips and looking down at him like she was…like he was all that mattered in the world to her.

House didn't believe in such a thing as true love, but if he did he was certain this was it.

"Wait," he whispered as she began to move her hips above him. She stopped.

"Are you ok?" she asked, concerned.

"I haven't touched you in two weeks," he said, raising his hands to her shoulders. "I need to touch you."

The corners of her lips turned up into a soft smile, understanding his need, for it was her need as well.

She took his hands in her own and lifted them to her cheek. His long index finger traced her cheekbone down to her jaw. She took his finger and kissed it gently before wrapping her lips around it and drawing it slowly out her mouth, nipping at his fingertip with her teeth.

His other hand moved to her thigh and squeezed it tightly in response. Cameron moved his finger along her bottom lip before letting go. House moved his hand down her chin, her neck and along her collarbone. Spreading his fingers wide he placed his hand over her heart and held it there a moment, letting the warmth from his palm seep into her.

Cameron's eyes glistened with tears that did not fall. He was loving her with his touch, and she couldn't help but remember only two weeks before she had almost lost him. Clenching her eyes shut, she pushed the horrible memories away and focused on the right now, this moment she had him trapped beneath her, his hands exploring her body as if it was the first time.

House's hand continued its expedition down her body, cupping her left breast and massaging it gently. Cameron's head dropped forward, her hair cascading over her face before she tossed it back, moaning at the magic his hands were making.

His right hand squeezed her thigh again before making its trek in a northwesternly direction. His left hand moved from her breast down her abdomen, momentarily tickling the tight expanse of flesh there. She giggled and swatted his hand away, causing him to smile a truly genuine smile. Cameron noted that smile was quite possibly one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen, as rare as it was.

His hands met at the apex of her thighs, and Cameron placed her hands on his chest once more, bracing for what she knew was to come, her body trembling at the mere thought of it.

She was already wet and ready for him, and probably had been since the last time they were this close. His fingers delicately stroked her, causing her to moan loudly as she raised herself up on her knees over him, allowing him more room to touch her.

With his thumb he pushed on her swollen clit as his other finger delved deep inside of her, and she cried out, arching her back instinctively. House's tongue slipped out of his mouth and traced his lower lip, wishing he could taste her but knowing they were both too close for that now.

Cameron reached behind her and grabbed his engorged shaft, taking him by surprise. His hips instinctively lifted off the bed, and he winced at the sharp pain that shot up from his injured leg. His other already damaged thigh began to throb a dull pain, but he would withstand it and not say a word. _Nothing will ruin this, damn it_, he said to himself. _Not even if I sustain further injury and have to go back to the hospital._

It would all be worth it.

He slid another finger inside her and she squeezed him harder. He growled as her hand worked him up and down. He immediately felt the familiar surge deep in his belly. Nope…there was no way this was going to last long. He had been too long without her.

"Allison," he whispered, removing his fingers from her. She looked down at him and nodded her head, knowing without him having to speak what he needed.

She placed her hands back on his chest as she gently lowered herself, inviting him into her moist center. He slid inside her and they both moaned in unison at how glorious it finally felt to be one again.

He grabbed her hips as she began to move on top of him, her head rolling from side to side as she felt her own sensation build. He squeezed her hips tightly, trying to hold himself off as long as he could, but as he watched her move above him, hearing her cries and moans of pleasure, feeling her inner muscles gripping at him…he knew it wouldn't be long.

Cameron's movements increased in speed. Opening her eyes, she stared down at him, meeting his eyes that were blazing blue. They kept their gaze locked as she took his hand and moved it to where their bodies met, urging him to touch her some more. He obliged her, his thumb finding her clit once more and applying just the right amount of pressure with each thrust inside of her to make her scream.

Her nails dug into his chest as she felt her orgasm approach.

"Allison," he cried out, unable to contain himself any longer. She leaned down and kissed him, pouring all the love she had for him into that kiss as their bodies continued to meet thrust after thrust until finally they released together in one simultaneous orgasm that quaked their joined bodies.

Cameron continued to roll her hips, milking him dry, their lips never parting. Even after all other movements stopped, they continued their passionate kiss. After a while, they both felt the need to breathe fresh oxygen and she pulled away from him. Lifting herself off of him, she laid on her side placing her head on his shoulder, her hand draped lazily across his chest.

"Welcome home," she whispered.


End file.
